How Would You React?

It's Dan,
I wanted to create this post due to an experience I had today. As Tami has mentioned I am completing a 12 week internship at an early intervention facility here in SLC. I get to work with kiddos from birth to three years of age who have severe disorder(s) that hinder their typical development, i.e. down syndrome, arthrogyposis, holoprosencephaly (look that one up, it's interesting), sensory processing disorder, and autism, to name a few. I love what I do because I not only get to see kids make progress and reach developmental milestones, but I get to share with the family the excitement of these accomplishments. There are times, however, when a child doesn't make progress (for whatever reason), and I share disappointment, discouragement, and at times tears along with the family. So today was a discouraging day for a family with whom I met. To give the background on the child, and without divulging personal information, this child had a complicated delivery, which ended up in a brachial plexus injury. This basically means the child lost innervation to the muscles of the affected upper extremity side, and possibly some sensory loss too (it means the child can't use their affected limb, functionally). If not treated medically the child's arm could end up in a contractured position, and without functional use. So here's the deal: one of the child's parents had to quit their job in order to take care of their now medically fragile child, while the other parent continued to work, thus discontinuing their medical insurance . The working parent makes too much money to qualify for medicaid (just barely above the cutoff), and they can't afford COBRA, because it's too expensive. To add to the laundry list of frustration, they cannot find an insurance company that will insure their child, due the child's preexisting condition. One of the parents looked to us, the "professionals," and asked what they should do in this situation? We gave the family three resources to pursue while they worked out the whole insurance fiasco to ensure the child received some sort of therapeutic attention, occupational therapy being one of those resources. I left that house wondering what I would do if I were in her situation. How would I feel? How would I react upon being rejected by an insurance company due to my child's preexisting condition? What would my next step be? Would I accept my child's condition, and not pursue insurance, or would I fight tooth and nail to make sure my child received adequate medical attention in addition to therapeutic services? As a parent of three children, this situation hit home.

I am not promoting a certain political view, because I know the readers of this blog to either support or reject healthcare reform, and I respect everyone's political view. So, what are your thoughts? What should this parent do?