Posted on 09/08/2013 9:05:39 PM PDT by Pining_4_TX
At almost 4 months of age, little Brooks Dillard has spent more than half his short life in the hospital. For the last 8 weeks (as of 8/16/13), he has been at Seattle Children's Hospital. He has been on a ventilator the entire time, has had two major surgeries with another one in his near future.
Brooks was born with a very rare congenital heart defect called Double Aortic Arch. Normally, the aorta leaves the heart and branches off to supply the arteries going to the arms and head. One of these branches then turns down to supply the lower body with blood. In Brooks' case, both branches rejoined after wrapping around his trachea and esophagus. The pressure from having the vascular ring this created constricted his airway and effectively prevented his trachea from developing properly.
Brooks has had two major surgeries already. The first was to open the ring. The second, called an aortopexy, was designed to reduce the pressure on his trachea. This second surgery wasn't as effective as we had hoped and he will be receiving a third surgery, possibly an experimental ground-breaking one, in the very near future.
We have already raised quite a bit of money from the wonderful people out there with huge hearts and the resources to be able to help. Unfortunately, the daily trip to visit Brooks typically costs $40-$50 and so we have been burning through the money as quickly as it comes in.
Anything given is greatly appreciated. This has been an extremely stressful journey for us and the money raised has reduced one major aspect of that stress to a manageable level. Thank you!
Updates for Brooks' journey are posted most days on his facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brooks-Dillard/262695097206545 - See more at: http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/visiting-little-brooks-/67945#sthash.kN2McA8d.dpuf
(Excerpt) Read more at youcaring.com ...
We have suggested they contact Angel Flight to see if they will provide a plane.
If you have it in your heart to give, please do so. Also, if you have any suggestions as to how this family can persuade Tricare to cover more of these expenses, that would be helpful. too.
Would contacting representatives or senators in WA be helpful?
God bless.
A veteran or a military retiree? Most veterans aren’t eligible for TriCare.
Well, I’m not sure. I do believe they have Tricare, so I think it is a matter of what Tricare will or won’t cover.
I can find out more details tomorrow.
Tricare - the front line of Obama’s DEATH PANELS.
Neonatal healthcare is wonderful for parents wanting to keep their babies alive who would otherwise have died and did so generations ago with the same conditions
Years ago, families paid for their medical care. I’m told I ‘cost $75’. Which was a chunk of cash back then.
These parents are asked if they’d like to pay $500G to a million for a baby- who might live a good life.
If they didn’t have a third party payer, what would they say?
MDs bring all this research in and its great, but this is getting paid for by a third party payer who is either the gov’t or an insurance company. Either our taxes pay or our premiums climb, or the other party, the employer kicks in and our hours or salaries or both go down.
It has been this way since third party came in then worsened when Medicare came in, paying for the advances no family can afford nor would ever want to deny.
Neonatal care is the cruelest.
BO simply moved in to take over a sick system acting as a parasite.
After he goes, and he will, we’ll still have this system.
Even military health care will have to cut back and be reasonable.
It is out of control.
It would be real nice to start with denying health care benefits to non qualifyiers.
This family might want to ask how many illegals had been taken care of in that area denying care to a veteran or active duty worker.
Active Duty/Retiree Ping.
Thank you for spreading the word!
You bet.
the govt has raised these expectations that can not be realistically met....and yes, Medicare did start it...Medicare that we have all paid in for, and I'm still paying a nice chunk in every paycheck, only to find out that its just a catastrophic health care plan, period...
Tricare the same....there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. .
and now, we have extremely sick people that nobody can pay for, yet we expect it in this modern age......its going to be a nightmare as we face this, because our health and the health of our families is at stake....
so stay as healthy as you can.
Right.
We also are under an impression that, because we have advanced in technology, that we are better than our forebears in every way.
They had to take care of their health and that of their families.
We have left that to the doctors who have, at first, pretended they could do it, and then, ignored the ethical considerations while the costs have gone so skyward that we have become dependent on an unethical government for our care.
So, yeah, we have to take care of ourselves.
I went to a gym last week, wanting to continue swimming through the year. Spoke with a trainer.
They are way ahead on this. Much study being done as to proper nutrition and working out with quality of life and budget taken in to consideration.
No longer is it the snobby, I work out and you are old or fat or whatever. Now it’s I’m here to work out and enjoy my life so I can take care of business.
Our medical system thrives on sickness. It has turned far towards being a broker for pharmaceuticals, which, if they heal anyone, that’s just a non foreseen perk.
Healing is going to be up to us.
Again.
the great advances perhaps will be seen by future generations as our having been, or being brilliant, but this kind of care will be unaffordable, as should have been predicted years ago.
They could start with denial of care, as it used to be, but at the hospital.
Oh and, no one is going to want to pay three times as high premiums that used to be covered by employers, nor the fine for non insured status, while they’re busy taking care of their own health and spending a lot to get there, and out of pocket for MD visits, in order to fund non earners and illegal citizens of which there’s likely about 30 million.
Defund Obamacare.
Everyone needs to sign it and assist. Senators Lee and Cruz and their assistants are not finished with this.
If you retire with at least 20 years you have Tricare until you receive Medicare then medicare becomes your primary provider and Tricare For Life becomes your secondary provider. Thanks to Obamacare we are losing some of our coverage.
I am married to a vet. He gets VA. As a dependent, I get Tri-care.
He’s retired from the military?
First advice stop messing with the gutted Tricare and go over their heads to the US Rep and Senators of the state.
And they can thank mclunatic for the gut of Tricare Prime and Life.
Retired CPO wife.
2 kinds of Tricare, Tricare Prime for younger people and on active duty or retired but to young for TFL, Tricare life for retired is for over 65, secondary to Medicare, both suck. Both have been gutted for 0’care.
I have VA which costs almost nothing and will be cost-free once I get 10% more on my disability. No monthly cost, just $8 co-payments on non-service-connected medical condition prescriptions. Wonder how long it’ll be before they goof that up?
Yes.
Yes, but disabled.
Tricare is for families of active duty, retirees and their dependents.
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