#TeamAmelia

For those of you who don't know, I'm a moderator for the small Make a Difference group on Cafemom. That's where I first saw this story posted, last night, and it's a heartbreaker.

I'm going to direct you, now, to the story in Mom's own words. I can't actually finish this story without crying, can't look at my sweet girls without thinking for the millionth time how blessed I am in their health, can't imagine ever having to hear that my child was being denied life saving treatment because of a delay.

I can't type this out without tears.

I'm not a medical professional. I don't know if there is some medical reason behind this extremely unprofessional behavior (see mom's story)- but I DO know this can't really be happening.

Can it? Can a doctor actually look at a child and find her unworthy of life? Is this really happening, today, now, in America?

Have we regressed to Nazi Germany? Have we become so calloused that only those deemed worthy receive lifesaving treatments and the rest are left to die in agony?

Is this REALLY HAPPENING? Such discrimination, such callousness, such disregard for the life of a young child, by the very people who are supposed to advocate for the health of children?

I know, by mom's words, that it is happening. I have no doubt in her honesty, her anger, her pain. I just can't wrap my brain around this injustice. This is a child, a child who needs help, a child who has a large family that will donate the organ- it's just the procedure that is needed, and the hospital is denying her a chance at life.

Because she is "retarded." I didn't think the medical community even used that word any more- I thought we, as a society, had moved past such veiled insults, I thought we'd moved to a point where we recognized these individuals for what they had to offer, not the amount of chromosomes that they drew in a twisted game of genetic lottery.

I thought society had, in fact, grown up.

I'm hoping that the general outcry will change CHOP's mind. I hope that the story ends in a beautiful, sunshine-y, rainbow-y sort of way that fits Amelia's beautiful smile. I hope, in a few short months, this is but a memory of a (formerly employed) doctor's bad bedside mannerisms and the world moves on to give Amelia all she deserves, but I still can't believe that we are here, right now, having this conversation, simply because a child is delayed.


You can sign the petition to change CHOP's mind here. As much comfort as I can offer through the virtual world goes out to Amelia's amazing mom- you keep fighting, momma. We're all behind you.