Before I begin, I want to thank MomsRising.org for bringing pediatric healthcare to the forefront of people’s minds. Healthcare reform is a highly debated topic, and sometimes the littlest patients get left out. It is our job as moms (and dads) to make sure our kids have a voice and are a part of the movement to improve healthcare.

My husband and I have two beautiful daughters, Sydney (7) and Allyson (6). They both were seemingly healthy and we were somewhat oblivious to the trials and tribulations of parents with sick children. After all, children aren’t supposed to get cancer, right? Well, on May 2, 2008, our youngest daughter was diagnosed with a golf ball sized brain tumor. There were no pediatric neurosurgeons in our area, so we began looking for a pediatric hospital to take Allyson to that specialized in brain tumors. Our search ended when we found Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. Allyson has undergone four craniotomies and will be on medication for the rest of her life to deal with hormonal deficiencies. With all that she’s endured, she’s a happy first-grader now, and has her entire future to look forward to!

We are privileged to have fantastic healthcare, but so many others aren’t as fortunate. What would we have done if we were told where we had to take Allyson for treatment rather than being able to give her the absolute best care she deserves? How would we afford her medication if we didn’t have prescription drug coverage? (One of her medications is around $1,200 for a 3-month supply) There are so many children fighting for their lives everyday, and to not give them the best care – the best chance for survival - is beyond comprehension.

I have two specific concerns around children’s healthcare: Pre-existing conditions and lifetime limits. As these children grow up and can no longer be on their parents’ coverage how are they going to get healthcare of their own? Many will require treatments and specific doctor’s visits the rest of their lives, and to be denied coverage because of what they are dealing with today is unreasonable. Financially, it can be hard to manage when you have a child facing life-threatening conditions and those financial burdens transfer to the child when they get older.

Also, many children endure so many treatments that they reach their lifetime maximum quickly – what then? How are we supposed to heal our children when their insurance benefits run out? Treatments are expensive, but are needed in many cases to save their life (surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, etc).

More and more families each year are dealing with a child that has been diagnosed with something unimaginable. As the healthcare debate grows, we need to ensure that our children have a voice – that healthcare for all children will improve. One way to tell our legislators how we feel is www.SpeakNowforKids.org. Please join me in this battle to improve healthcare for our children! We can all make a difference!