Seth Petreikis, Baby With Complete DiGeorge Syndrome, Denied Medicaid Coverage For Life-Saving Proce

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Seth Petreikis, Baby With Complete DiGeorge Syndrome, Denied Medicaid Coverage For Life-Saving Procedure

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/08/seth-petreikis-baby-with-_n_793950.html



Seth Petreikis is a six-month-old baby trying to dodge a death sentence.

He was born in Dyer, Indiana earlier this year with a rare and usually fatal condition called complete DiGeorge syndrome. A genetic malfunction on his 22nd chromosome kept him from developing a thymus, an organ that helps develop white blood cells, and led him to have serious heart defects.

As such, he's susceptible to overwhelming infections, and the heart surgery he'll need in February will be impossible without making him dangerously vulnerable to such infection. "It's like he's been sentenced to death," his mother, Becky Petreikis, told the Northwest Indiana Times.

Indeed, babies born with complete DiGeorge are unlikely to see their first birthday, and almost never survive past the age of two.

[flvegan]

1. THIS is what's wrong with America.

[dkf]

2. How much did Sharron Angle raise?

You'd think $500,000 was doable.

[madmax]

3. A disgrace. Where are the pro-lifers now!

A brain dead woman and fetus' that's all they care about. Once out of the womb, good luck kid - you're on your own.

[sakabatou]

4. If you're pre-born, you're fine, if you're pre-schooled, you're fucked.

[lildreamer316]

5. This breaks my heart so very much.

I can't look at his face right now..