Saturday, April 25, 2009

Mad at England and Socialized Medicine- Need to Vent



I AM MAD AT ENGLAND!!!
I have to vent--

Short history: There is a little boy named Samuel that was born a Thanatophoric dwarf- He wasn't suppose to survive. He is almost 4 now.

Well I belong to a Thanatophoric support board:

Anyway there is a young women on the board from England whose baby has been given the same diagnosis as Samuel and the medical community won't do anything for her.

They won't let her deliver at a hospital that has an intensive neonatal unit- She has to deliver at her local hospital. They won't let her have a c- section even if the baby is breech that would give the baby a better chance of at least being born alive instead of still born. They won't give the baby any special treatment like a vent after he is born. They won't even give her a doctor for the delivery jut a midwife. No offense to midwives, but this is a high risk pregnancy especially for the baby. She was pressured to abort but said no. They have just decided that this baby isn't worth any special effort at all because his diagnosis is fatal/ futile!!! Which it is not! just look at Samuel. I guess England doesn't consider it cost effective to do anything to help this mother and child. GRRRRRRR I don't like our system in America but this is why Socialized medicine stinks too! Samuel's mom was on bed rest at the hospital the last month or so of her pregnancy so she wouldn't go into pre-mature labor. She had a c- section to give the baby the best chance at being born alive. They gave Sam the same drugs they give pre-mature babies to help their lungs (which is why he probably survived) They went along with Samuel's parents wishes to have him placed on a ventilator - And today he is happy and bubbly, laughs and smiles and interacts with his environment. All things the doctors said he would never do.-
Just see here:
http://deenyssimplejoys.blogspot.com/2009/01/update-sam-surviving-3-12-year-old.html

Samuel also has a you tube video where he is laughing too cute!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_Q92MC8plU

And a news article all about him here:
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=14845


The young mother in England is Named Chelsea - This was her last post to the Thanatophoric Support group board:

From Chelsea) ...Did anyone have a breech delivery with their baby? Ive been told Charlie is breech and may not turn so will have to deliver him/her breech. They won't do a c section so I will have to deliver myself. Also been told I won't have a doctor, just a midwife. Hope she is prepared!!
Still feel very let down by the system. No support or counselling. Have been asked if I would like a post mortem done but have said no. It seems like the medical profession want to do these things once Charlie goes, there is no help being offered while Charlie is alive! Doesn't make sense :-(


OK I am so mad at England and Socialized Medicine right now!! Sorry had to vent

8 comments:

Saved Sinner said...

That is terrible but I do hope you're not mad at everyone English. Sometimes I think we would be better off with a private healthcare system because then the medical staff are accountable to you as a customer rather than the NHS trust but when I read about how bad the birth system is in the US (for normal births) I'm not sure which is worse. Sadly too many (not all) people in that area think they no best and won't listen to anything else or they just blindly follow the official protocols without considering whether it is the best option. I think I mentioned before on CIAL that one of by brothers was brain damaged at birth by something which would have been prevented if the docotrs had looked at the scans and the midwives had done their job.

Deeny said...

No - I still love England and all my English friends. My heritage is very English and my daughter and I and possibly my Mother-in-law are going to take a vacation there in the next year or 2. That was just my initial gut reaction to the Medical system there. I have been following Chelsea's story on the Thanatophoric board and it is just sad how she and her pregnancy and unborn Charlie are being treated. It is so different than the way Samuel's mom and he were treated in this country. They did everything to help him survive. (Which there are many states here that would not have been so helpful either. Many other states have policies similar to England). What I think helped Samuel's mom was that she had Samuel shortly after all the hullabaloo with the Teri Schivo and Sun Hudson case and the media here in this state didn't want more of the same. Samuel's family had private medical insurance which has covered most of his care, but it is about to cap out.

If "comparative effectiveness" gets slapped on US healthcare, the same thing will happen here. And Sebelius refused to assure Congress that comparative effectiveness research would not be used to deny care.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/04/21/9782/

Saved Sinner said...

Another thing I don't like is that they advice people that they *should* abort as if it is wrong not to.

NCSue said...

Unfortunately, we seem to be headed increasingly in the direction of socialized medicine in the States, too.

As a nurse, I have seen up-close-and-personal some of the problems with our form of health care delivery. I realize that it isn't perfect. But there must be a safe, humane middle ground somewhere between fully private and fully socialized medicine.

In His love,

NCSue
http://acts17verse28.blogspot.com/

Tonya said...

I just wanted to say I am a personal friend of Evelyn's and Samuel is just a joy! Every time I see him I just smile! My son, Knoah has Achondroplasia and Evelyn and I became good friends. She is amazing and God has certainly blessed her with a fantastic little boy!

PH said...

This is certainly one of my concerns about national health care, although our current health care system stinks too, both for some people who are insured, and certainly for the uninsured. I dealt for years with special needs kids in school systems, and I can guarantee you every one of them was precious and deserving.

Jen said...

This is SO sad and makes me very mad! Every life is worth fighting for...especially those who cannot fight for themselves...the world has so many things backwards right now......I have to just keep putting my faith in the Lord each day and doing what I can where I can for His sake!

Alexandra said...

My sister lives in England and has similar stories....coming over from Mama Says. :)