Kansas Family Is Selling Five Year Old's Drawings To Pay For His Chemotherapy

[Amerigo Vespucci]

November 09, 2010 06:00 PM
Kansas Family Is Selling Five Year Old's Drawings To Pay For His Chemotherapy
By Susie Madrak



http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/kansas-family-selling-five-year-olds-

This story made me really, truly sad about my country. That a family has to sell their sick kid's drawings to pay for chemo, and that they still have to worry about paying for treatment when their child needs their full attention? I think it's great that people want to help (because that's the part of my country that still gives me hope) but this is exactly the same kind of situation about which right-wing "heroes" like Rush Limbaugh are so very thoughtless and cruel:

Some little boys love trucks. Some little boys love trains. Aidan Reed, 5, has always — always — loved monsters.

To Aidan, Wolfman is a scream and vampires are a hoot. He’s never seen a single horror movie, but images from such movies — on display at Halloween costume stores and elsewhere — crack him up. His love of monsters is so steadfast that he’s been drawing monsters, playing with monster toys and dressing up like monsters for years now

Since Sept. 13, Aidan has been waging a battle against a monster that is all too real. That’s when doctors discovered he has acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He’s spent weeks in the hospital and has endured chemotherapy, infections, spinal taps and other painful procedures.

To pass the time, he draws pictures of monsters. Dozens and dozens of them. Aidan’s drawings are so adorably scary that his aunt decided to post some of them on the website Etsy, where people buy and sell handmade artwork and other items. She wanted to do something — anything — to help Aidan and his family from a distance, so she figured she’d try to sell 60 prints to help defray their sudden and mounting expenses.

[Sanity Claws]

1. Terrible indictment of our health care system

[Rectangle]

30. Why do you Socalist/Commies hate 'Merka?

This kid is a REAL Free Market Capitalist!
This kid is a REAL Tea Party Patriot!
He believes in the Freedoms and Liberties our Founding Fathers
fought and died for....
He believes in paying his own way,Unlike you Liberal Commies
always suckling up to the teat of Mother Gubmint!
He don't want no damn Gubmint beaurocrat tellin' him what he
can or can't do!
He make me proud of 'Merka!

all above:
:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

(Seriously, the monsters he's drawing should appropriately be labeled
Big Insurance/Pharma!!)

[Mimosa]

2. To end that crap for grownups and kids is why I supported Obama.

Silly me.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. This story is all over local media

and it's being played as a sweet wonderful heartwarming story.

And I was wondering if I was the only one who wanted to scream.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

4. Nope...

...it's tragic. The parents' love for the kid and their resourcefulness in finding a way to provide for his medical care is heartwarming, but the conditions that put them in a position to do that make me want to scream as well.

[Mimosa]

6. This desperation when a person gets sick happens in no other advanced industrialised countries. n/

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. BTW, your link is broken

[Amerigo Vespucci]

13. Sometimes the links from C&L get messed up

Here it is again...

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/kansas-family-selling-five-year-olds-

...I copied and pasted it into the address box and it worked...let's see what happens this time.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

14. No, that didn't work either...

...sorry, folks. It's the Crooks & Liars Website (http://crooksandliars.com/), and right now, it's the lead story. If anyone can figure out why the link is copied and pasted and then doesn't work, please let me know.

[nolabear]

5. Awwww... It's the American Way. He pulled himself up by his Superman Sneaker Velcro.

Didn't ask for no government handout; he went to work just like any sick five year old should.

No, you're not the only one. Though I am a huge Gill Man fan and just might buy me one.

[madmax]

8. I want to scream and pull my hair out.

This is beyond immoral or obscene. What is WRONG with people who read something like this that doesn't make them WANT Universal Health Care, Public Option - something to end the madness of health care for profit.

[RKP5637]

7. Frankly, this is a gross country. When you add it all up, the atrocities by this

country are pretty gross. If you're a citizen of the US, you are in the way.

True, it's not the worst, but it should be far better.

[madmax]

10. No it's not the worst - if you compare us to third world

countries. Compared to all other western industrialized nations - we're the worst. :mad:

[marmar]

16. This kind of crap would never happen in "Third World" Cuba......

...... so this country doesn't even measure up there.

[provis99]

18. third world's Costa Rica health care is better, too!

I also noticed lots of Americans are flying to India for their health care also, these days.

[pitohui]

22. i have traveled to both costa rica and mexico for care EOM

,

[madmax]

26. Yes indeed. Mexico for dental care is quite common.

I stand corrected, there are 'third world' countries which have better health care than the US.

A damning indictment of this country and the value placed on human life and health care.

[madmax]

25. Spot on - I stand corrected :) nt

[RKP5637]

19. I guess we need to be tops in something, like tops in being at the

bottom of the list of western industrialized nations. Go USA, Go USA, Go USA Doing you proud.

[theHandpuppet]

11. Spotted a similar story today in the Belfast Telegraph

Dying cancer patients burn their clothes for heat
Monday, 8 November 2010

A leading cancer charity has revealed the appalling conditions some of the most ill people in Northern Ireland are facing, as it demands action from Stormont.

Macmillan Cancer general manager Heather Monteverde said the financial implications of a cancer diagnosis can be truly devastating, with some people unable to pay for food, mortgages or fuel to heat their homes.

<snip>

“I’m aware of terminally ill people who can’t afford to heat their home at the end of their life.

“Certainly last winter we heard of patients burning clothes, books and basically burning anything they could to stay warm just because they couldn’t afford a fill of oil....

Difficult article but should be read.
Link: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/dying-cancer-patients-burn-their-clothes-for-heat-14998142.html

[grilled onions]

12. The Real Monster Is The Idiot Who Thinks We Don't Need Single Payer

How many local papers are full of car wash's,candy bar sales,spaghetti dinners etc all in the name of fund raisers for people to sick to pay their rent or buy food. All the while the stories are given the awwwww-feel good angle and not the "what has become of our country when people are that desperate" angle. All the candy bars,children's drawings etc are going to make a dent in this medical quagmire of a healthcare system we have. It's a monster of many heads and we can't tame it,feed it nor chase it out of the room yet those who can care less, feel it's not half as important as tax cuts and in fighting and back alley deals with their lobbyists groupies.

[madmax]

27. My doctors love me

They just can't wait to hear me rant on about Single Payer, Universal Health Care, Medicare for all - anything that smacks of turning our health care system upside down or right side up drives them nuts. The husband tells me I should keep my mouth shut or I may jeopardize the type of treatment I receive. Can't do it - it's in my DNA, I have a BIG mouth.

[crim son]

15. Why that's, errr.... uniquely American?

Makes me want to puke. LOOK AT THAT LITTLE GUY! God forgive us, for we know not what we do.

[elocs]

17. I first saw this posted her on October 20:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9351920

Then again yesterday: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9515107

It's a great story.

[Obamanaut]

28. The Oct 20 thread has some good links in the OP

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=9351920

[RagAss]

20. I cried...and I hate this place we live in !

[pitohui]

21. and what if he was 30? no one would buy the "art"

you know what? some soft heart will give the $ to the five year old...my neighbor was 30 when he got cancer and had no insurance

my neighbor is dead

[raccoon]

29. Wish I could rec your post. nt

[rivercat]

23. link to his shop-

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AidansMonsters

[madamesilverspurs]

24. Should send the medical bills

to Boehner and McConnell and Cantor. Screw that -- the bills should be delivered to them with full media coverage. And not one of them would have the guts to face that boy. That little guy has already displayed more courage than the three of them combined could even imagine. And they keep promising to make sure that he dies.