Another reason to be grateful...

[nazstar]

Friend of a friend situation. Married young couple had a baby this year and she is currently sick. Their parents are not citizens and to be honest, I'm not sure of their status.

Their daughter is 7 months old (same as my little girl). She is sick and getting sicker each day. They are going to a free clinic which sounds like a revolving door and the baby is getting worse. The mother isn't sleeping or eating because she's terrified her baby will stop breathing - she labors to breathe now and from what I am told, it sounds like asthma of some sort.

The parents are afraid of applying for Medicaid (for the baby), which I couldn't understand when your baby's health is at risk. But after talking with our mutual friend, it makes sense. She said that the local Spanish channels are flooded with stories of people who ask for help, or report crimes, and are deported and their children taken away from them or worse.

Now, I'm not posting this to start a debate on immigration, illegals, etc. It just struck me that I take so much for granted. Regardless of their legal status, where they are from, and the sort, my heart goes out to any mother that lays awake at her child's side for fear she will slip away in the night. What makes my heart break even more is that her condition is probably 100% treatable with the right help.

I researched some resources for her and sent the links to our mutual friend, hoping to help in some way. I even volunteered to ask my pediatrician for a free clinic referral for her. I really hope she takes me up on the offer.

I couldn't imagine my little one being sick and just being helpless - not because of the disease but because of fear, red tape, whatever you want to call it. It's another reminder to me about what's important.

[sandhall]

I believe if she goes to her local emergency room they can not deny her services but I also believe that the social workers can help her get approved for medicaid after looking at the forms for medicaid they don't ask if you are a legal or illegal but she should take baby to ER and start the real care process

[familyof7]

I know for a FACT she can go to the ER they will not deny her care and cannot legally reprort them because of privacy laws HIPPA so they need to go to the ER before she does get too sick. If she does get to sick and dies the parents could face neglect and murder charges for not getting her help so I strongly suggest the ER. I have asthmatic children and they get really sick really fast. Please call and recomend the ER.

[lrprn]

I'm a old pediatric intensive care nurse. What you've been told is absolutely correct - they and the baby can't be turned away if the baby is sick.

Tell your friend of a friend to go to the nearest pediatric hospital ER immediately if they have a pediatric hospital in town. Otherwise, go to the nearest llarge hospital ER immediately. The baby needs attention quickly if she's having trouble breathing.

[nazstar]

I told our mutual friend this - I don't know this woman personally. I even volunteered to go with her. I started urging last night and want to follow up with her today. Even if she goes to a different urgent care clinic - SOMETHING! This baby needs a real doctor because the one she's seeing is obviously incompetent. I also called my pediatrician's office and they have a department that helps you apply for Medicaid - the mother would not have to go to a government office.

The problem isn't that she doesn't care or that the services aren't available. Apparently, the immigrant community is telling her that social services, etc are bad people and they will take away her baby, ship her back to Colombia and her baby will wind up in some sort of orphanage. She's terrified and I'm concerned these "remedies" she's being given by the older women in her community are doing more harm than good - they are just delaying real treatment.

I'll check in again today and see if I can convince her otherwise.

[robivi3]

MIAMI CHILDRENS HOSPITAL can NOT refuse ANY child, NOT POSSIBLE. If they are in SoFla (the Spanish Channels here which are constantly on in my 50/50 house are not "flooded" with such stories, they are simply Hispanic interest news stories).

I don't want to debate either on this issue in any way because i have a close relative on MY side, not wife's, of the family, who has $$$$$ from the sale of her condo and her Ice Cream Store in Colombia, also her pension and investments after retiring from an extremely good job with the Colombian Merchant Fleet which had her living in several European Countries (Communist and Free) and other places in the world has immigration problems!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The owner of a very large corporation tried to move mountains to bring her in as a top level employee and was denied becuase the position can be "filled locally". I have seen the letters, apps. and BS that the DOI and roadblocks is putting against a decent, honest, educated person who buys new cars (she just bought the biggest Hyundai model through my Mom yesterday (CASH), is a silent partner in a very fashionable lestablishment in Dolphin Dan Marino's neighborhood where she also BOUGHT and remodelled a lovely condo through another relative (legal Colombian) who is related to me also. She is in frikking limbo and on the wait list. She will be legal, honest to God, when she old enough to collect SS, she will be called a freeloader but has put more into the economy than some Americans and wants to be legal, pay legal and participate. There is no legitimate reaso to deny this woman. She has family, money, stakes, roots and to a Colombian, if you know them, Government dependance is shameful. My wife and sister had to FORCE my Mother-in-Law to get her Social Secuity, she worked here beginning in 1965 and had a little over twenty years empoyment total and has always been a citizen. She still refuses to apply for section 8 housing, pride won't let her so she lives between all of us.

Legal or illegal there is no argument about a child. Not every illegal is a scumbag, it serves us well to educate and help the children of these folks. Find a local establishment like MCH, St. Judes, etc... They won't give a damn. Never mind the reason the parents would let the child die, the child is what matters.

[robivi3]

Get the kid to the ER, they can add it to my tax bill, twenty years down the road the payback will come when she graduates and tells the story of how sick she was but was saved in a US hospital and then goes to Harvard.

Just get to a hospital. Think about it, if hospital workers report undocumented people then they run the risk of spreading fear of treatment. That is how plagues and contagious diseases are spread. It would not be in a City, County or Countries best interest to worry about status at such a time.

[nazstar]

Update! She applied for Medicaid for the baby and took her to a doctor. They referred her to a pediatric specialist and she's getting proper treatment. I didn't get the details on what she has, but it appears that she will be okay now! I'm so relieved. This was really on my mind and now it's resolved.

I try not to judge the mother. I have no idea what it's like to be in her shoes and I never want to find out. She was really torn between bringing her baby "into the system" and getting her care versus risking having her taken away. It's easy for me to sit her and tell her that can't happen but all that matters was that it was a real threat in her mind.

Robivi3 - well said that "not every illegal is a scumbag". My father came to this country 35 years ago. He had an excellent education, worked 3 jobs to support my mother and myself (my mother is American born). I never wanted for anything. My father paid taxes, raised American children, obeyed all our laws and eventually he got his citizenship. He's immensely proud of being an American and he gets very upset when people lump all immigrants in the same pot. After all, we can't lump all Americans in the same pot - there are good people and bad.

There are countless stories like that. My friend's husband is currently in the process of becoming a citizen. INS put them through the ringer. He pays taxes, can't vote, has no benefits of those tax dollars and he married an American. He is an engineer by education but can't find work in that field. She is college educated, and has an MBA. But, they have trudged down to Miami on multiple occasions to be grilled by the INS. They actually pulled him aside and refused an interpreter (which I don't think is legal). He speaks English, but when he is nervous, he can get flustered. He also can communicate with you or I in a normal conversation but with legalese, he gets confused. They accused him of marrying her for citizenship and essentially told him they thought the marriage was fake because he is 5 years her junior AND "she's not the most attractive woman around". Then they told my friend that he was probably marrying her for her assets and that she should really think twice before continuing in her marriage! I couldn't believe that!

[chpxiii]

I'm glad the child is being taken care of.

[whatamess]

There are countless stories like that. My friend's husband is currently in the process of becoming a citizen. INS put them through the ringer. He pays taxes, can't vote, has no benefits of those tax dollars and he married an American. He is an engineer by education but can't find work in that field. She is college educated, and has an MBA. But, they have trudged down to Miami on multiple occasions to be grilled by the INS. They actually pulled him aside and refused an interpreter (which I don't think is legal). He speaks English, but when he is nervous, he can get flustered. He also can communicate with you or I in a normal conversation but with legalese, he gets confused. They accused him of marrying her for citizenship and essentially told him they thought the marriage was fake because he is 5 years her junior AND "she's not the most attractive woman around". Then they told my friend that he was probably marrying her for her assets and that she should really think twice before continuing in her marriage! I couldn't believe that![/QUOTE]

This sounds like my husband and I case starting 10 years ago. it took 10 years for him to become an american cit, and it was only last year he was nautraulized. same thing..paid taxes, never collected welfare, worked his butt off, no insurance, treated badly even as a greencard holder.
Thanks GOD this baby will be okay.
There is a strain of the flu going around, I have had it for three weeks. Im on an inhaler with steroids plus musinex. No antibiotic will kill it. I have bad asthma too, and its affected me ten times worse than everyone else who has /had it. I almost stopped breathing twice because of coughing. I have been in and out of bed all day for weeks and NOTHING helped, but this baby most likely got this virus and will need steriods. In asia right now Er's are so flooded with it they are sending folks home if they are not elderly or young or chronic ill.
The worst part is you CANT sleep from the coughing. Its rather dry, rattling and like you have cat hair in your mouth/throat. Your dizzy, tired, have a headache, chest pain and ear pain. Its unreal.
So i hope/pray this baby will be okay now...and her parents are not infected as well.
BTW Pertussis is going around now too. (whooping cough)
WAM

[robivi3]

I am glad for the child. every case is different. My wife began her legal career when we were young. She is Colombian. We had a rule that when she applied for any Law job if the Attorney mentioned ANYTHING about "can you get me some Colombian gold" she would leave right then, no more to say, and she did it in several interviews and while employed. I teach my kids "Colombia grows coffee" and I have a huge Colombian Coffee bag hanging in my den. I will only allow Colombian Coffee in the house because I damn anyone to make a comment about cocaine and Colombia in jest. It is offensive. My wife walked out of at least six offices, sometimes during an interview. I mean not one more word, just walked period. If someone is so low classed as to say that barely knowing a person I would not ask her to work for them. And yes, my wife and I have had "cultural differences" in the past which always end with "we went to the moon" and her saying "you and your moon", that is literally how far it goes, but we have NEVER insulted family or culture because that's the way it should be.

The fact is that I despise people being lumped into a single sack because of where they come from. Hatians, Cubans, Colombians, Mexicans can think as individuals, they are not implanted with a certain thought process at birth. Alot of Americans of many races aren't fit to bear the name "American" and you would be shocked at how many people who can't come here do love this Country and would work and would give anything to bear the name.

People tend to lump all illegals into one bag, I know one older Mexican couple that is here, illegal. He does construction, the custom type walls and woodwork and such. He works hard, is honest except that he is illegal but he's trying to LIVE DECENT and a butt-stupid system denies him the opportunity to fill an artisans position legally. In other words his 340 bazillion generations of woodworking are now passed down, they have become genetic, produced intelligence and long slim fingers that do intricate work so he might just be a flapping ASSET so lets roadblock him in favor of some clueless scumbag with the ability to float and apply for things from the taxpayers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nazstar]

BTW Pertussis is going around now too. (whooping cough)
WAM

My youngest brother is 14 years my junior. He had whooping cough when he was a baby - if I remember correctly, he caught it BEFORE he was old enough to get the vaccine for it. Although my mom had an excellent pediatrician and full medical coverage, they kept sending her home with, "it's a virus and needs to run its course". I remember my mother recording his cough on tape and bringing it in to the doctor since it was so much worse at night. As soon as the doctor heard it, he turned to my mother and said, "I've been a pediatrician for over 25 years and you just proved a mother's knows best. It's whooping cough". Then he asked my mom for the tape for his medical school class. Poor kid was out of commission for 2 months. it was really scary. His little body would go rigid with the coughing and he would wheeze and turn blue until the fit passed. It's so scary when they are so little and get sick. They are not just "little adults" - things are still maturing for them and these diseases take their toll BIG TIME.

[nazstar]

There is a strain of the flu going around, I have had it for three weeks. Im on an inhaler with steroids plus musinex. No antibiotic will kill it. I have bad asthma too, and its affected me ten times worse than everyone else who has /had it. I almost stopped breathing twice because of coughing. I have been in and out of bed all day for weeks and NOTHING helped
WAM

I hope you feel better! I also have asthma and a simple cold that moves into your chest can be a nightmare! Mucinex ROCKS! I love that stuff but it dries your sinuses out. I've also been treated with steroids to keep the asthma under control when I've been sick. Do you take preventative meds on a daily basis? I take Advair, Singular, and Zyrtec daily. It's really annoying. I've lived with asthma for years and avoided regular meds until I moved in with my husband. When we were dating, I was distressed to find out he had dogs and a cat - I'm allergic.... It sounds horrible but I'm kinda waiting for them to grow old and die and then we are NOT getting pets again!

[whatamess]

Nazstar...Im SO much better with the hairy dogs kept in one section of the basement and we got a home at my sisters for mr kitty. I can only stand to have one breed of dog, poodles. I can take my poodle but almost no other animal. Its awful. I take zyrtec D in the summer for mold and singular in the winter.
I also bought a few air purifiers, got rid of most carpets and have NO curtains in the bedroom. This helps alot. Plus a hepa vaccum WITH A BAG!!
It sux to be asthmatic.
WAM

[nazstar]

I banished the dogs to the first floor of the house. The cat is another story but since we moved, she seems to favor downstairs anyways. I really wanted to give her away but hubby has had her for 10 years and she's got cancer. Poor thing is skin and bones already and when we are gone just overnight, she deteriorates. If I gave her away, she'd be dead in a week. The vet sent her home a year ago to die "over the weekend". It turns out she just shut down while they had her in the kitty hospital. We got her home and I force fed her some nutritent paste for 3 days until she started eating again.