Today, I got the news that a friend's darling daughter has died. She was the loveliest young woman, a new mom, living with her military firefighter/reservist husband in South Carolina. Her mom, who lives in Utah, posted just yesterday that her beautiful girl, who has been struggling with PPD and mounting, devastating medical bills relating to her dear baby's health, was missing.
Today, I learned, she was dead. A victim of suicide. A dear, beautiful, vivacious, alive, vital, loving, beloved child, wife, and mother. Dead.
Dead because we have a system so utterly screwed up and heartless that she saw no way out. She saw no hope for the future.
I couldn't help think that, were this Canada, Sweden, Norway, England, or any other more civilized, intelligent, humane Western nation, she wouldn't be dead today. She wouldn't have found herself crushed under the weight of thousands upon thousands of dollars in medical bills. She'd have had access to the help she needed for her PPD, which was so clearly amplified by the unbearable stress of crippling medical costs.
THIS is what it's about. THIS is what loudmouths like me are talking about when we cry out for reform, for a NATIONAL system of care that leaves no one floundering, no one sinking because of the cost of medical care. It's not about POLITICS, it's about PEOPLE.
This beautiful young woman had set up a fundraising page just recently, in hopes of finding a way out of the darkness. She's gone now (and the world is poorer for it), but her little boy is still in need, and her husband is now left alone. Her dear Mom, who loved her girl as much as any mom ever could, has lost her heart. I'm going to do something I've never done before--I'm going to post a fundraising link. Because if this isn't worthwhile, I don't know what is.
Please share this, if you will. It won't save Bronson's amazing Mom, but it might just save him. It will take a small bit of hurt from his family's life, and it will pay tribute to an amazing young woman who shouldn't be gone.
Thank you.
Today, I learned, she was dead. A victim of suicide. A dear, beautiful, vivacious, alive, vital, loving, beloved child, wife, and mother. Dead.
Dead because we have a system so utterly screwed up and heartless that she saw no way out. She saw no hope for the future.
I couldn't help think that, were this Canada, Sweden, Norway, England, or any other more civilized, intelligent, humane Western nation, she wouldn't be dead today. She wouldn't have found herself crushed under the weight of thousands upon thousands of dollars in medical bills. She'd have had access to the help she needed for her PPD, which was so clearly amplified by the unbearable stress of crippling medical costs.
THIS is what it's about. THIS is what loudmouths like me are talking about when we cry out for reform, for a NATIONAL system of care that leaves no one floundering, no one sinking because of the cost of medical care. It's not about POLITICS, it's about PEOPLE.
This beautiful young woman had set up a fundraising page just recently, in hopes of finding a way out of the darkness. She's gone now (and the world is poorer for it), but her little boy is still in need, and her husband is now left alone. Her dear Mom, who loved her girl as much as any mom ever could, has lost her heart. I'm going to do something I've never done before--I'm going to post a fundraising link. Because if this isn't worthwhile, I don't know what is.
Please share this, if you will. It won't save Bronson's amazing Mom, but it might just save him. It will take a small bit of hurt from his family's life, and it will pay tribute to an amazing young woman who shouldn't be gone.
Thank you.
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