Bridget Manley
Bridget Manley
Jen - "If A Cop & A Teacher Can't Afford To Have A Disabled Child, Our Priorities Are Wrong"
Jen - "If A Cop & A Teacher Can't Afford To Have A Disabled Child, Our Priorities Are Wrong"
Jen - "If A Cop & A Teacher Can't Afford To Have A Disabled Child, Our Priorities Are Wrong"
Thursday 4th May 2017
Jen's story on 'Birds In A Tree' reveals the emotional and financial challenges of raising a disabled child in America.
39 minutes
Informative
Compassionate
Thought-provoking
Raw
Engaging
About this podcast
Author:
Bridget Manley
Overview:
Categories:
Parenting & Children
Sobriety in Everyday Life
Navigating Challenges in Recovery
Empowering Recovery Journeys
Relationships & Community
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Episodes:
64 (View all)
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Get the buttons here!Jen's Fight: The Hidden Costs of Raising a Disabled Child
I took responsibility for whether our son lives and dies. It is my love for my child, but it's a day in and day out chore in a way that it isn't for a child who isn't sick.
Imagine discovering halfway through your pregnancy that your baby will face severe medical challenges. This is Jen's reality. In this moving episode of 'Birds In A Tree', Jen opens up about the journey she and her husband embarked on after learning their son, James, would be born with significant facial deformities. The couple had to travel three hours from home to find a hospital equipped to handle James' needs, and their challenges didn't end there.
Every night, James relies on a ventilator to breathe, a piece of equipment that is both lifesaving and incredibly costly. By the time he was just two weeks old, James had already hit the million-dollar mark in medical expenses, reaching the insurance company's lifetime cap before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) changed the rules.
Jen's story is not just about the financial strain; it's about the emotional and physical toll of constantly advocating for her son's health in a system that often seems stacked against them. Her experience highlights the urgent need for healthcare reform in the United States.
Whether you're a parent, a healthcare professional, or someone interested in the complexities of the American healthcare system, Jen's story offers a powerful perspective on what it means to fight for your child's life every single day.