I’m going to touch on something a bit controversial today, but it’s something that has really bothered me and…. well, it’s my blog to voice my opinion, so please keep that in mind before you blast me!  🙂

Yesterday, there was a news report that a group of illegal aliens in Chicago are protesting with a hunger strike outside of a hospital because they were denied a place on the organ transplant list.  They are demanding to be put on the list because they feel they were denied access due to their illegal residency.  The first thought that ran through my mind was, “Are they serious???”  While I empathize with their needs and know how terrifying it is to desperately need a life-saving surgery, throwing a fit and yelling at the transplant team is not the way to get it done!

First, I need to point out, not everyone gets a place on the waiting list – whether you’re an American citizen or not!  THOUSANDS of people get denied all the time for various reasons:  they’ve had cancer, a bad blood transfusion, heart issues that keep them from going through surgery, not healthy enough to make it through the surgery or healing process… the list goes on, and as you’ve seen in MY experience, I’ve been turned down several times as well!  To blame this on a discrimination issue is flat out ignorant.

Secondly, there is a money factor involved.  They are arguing that it’s “sad” and unethical for a hospital to decide who can receive an organ based on their financial capability…although, I agree we should help out anyone who is in need, why is this so wrong??  An organ transplant is extremely expensive!  A kidney transplant can cost from $100K – 250K for the surgery alone!  A lung transplant, about $350K, and a heart transplant can run as much as $700K!  These costs don’t include the thousands of dollars monthly we’d have to pay to get the anti-rejection meds and doctor visits we’ll need to take care of the organ AFTER the surgery.   Do you think a hospital is going to just hand this over to someone if they can’t afford it?  And if you can’t afford it, how on earth would you expect to keep the organ from being rejected and dying?   There are so few organs available, I think they SHOULD be given only to those who can afford to take care of them and make them last.  Without insurance, I don’t think I could even THINK of qualifying!  Who do they think is going to be paying for all of this?  I’ll tell you who’d be paying… WE would be paying!  Through our taxes, elevated health care costs, and government-funded associations, which again, we pay for through our taxes and donations.

Lastly, and the point that makes me the most upset, is the fact that THEY ARE NOT EVEN CITIZENS!  It infuriates me when an illegal immigrant says that because they live here and “contribute to the community” they have all the rights we do… no you don’t!   Illegal immigration is a crime… and criminals do not get the same rights as law-abiding citizens.  Not saying I’d want to deny them the “American Dream”…everyone is free to have it.  But go about it the correct way.  Do you think we’d get to take advantage of the benefits from another country if we weren’t citizens?  Of course not.  If you want the same rights and benefits we do, BECOME A CITIZEN AND EARN THEM!  Start paying for them like we have to, and THEN we’ll give you the health care, the education scholarships, the government assistance and bank loans.  I may have Medicare, but I have also been paying for that every single day since the first day I entered the workforce more than 20 YEARS ago.  Yes, you contribute to our society, and in many ways, they are very positive contributions, however, don’t take advantage of us and DEMAND to be treated equally.

Unfortunately, we already do treat them somewhat “equally”.   Our country already allows illegal immigrants to have “free” organ transplants every single year.  Hospitals are only allowed 5% of their transplants to be for un-documented citizens, but actually about 10% are performed.  As someone who has been waiting for two years for an organ, it makes me literally sick to think that the organ I could be getting could be given to someone who isn’t a citizen and who might actually lose it because they can’t afford to take care of it properly… and I’M going to have to pay for it!  Especially, when I’m stressing out about the cost of MY OWN transplant!   To make it worse, as I pointed out in my last blog, our health care is going to be taking a hit on their spending, and kidney patients in particular are going to be suffering… hmmmmm… makes you wonder why.

************

Things I’m thankful for today:

1.  I know I’ve mentioned this before, but shout out to Four Corners Cafe for being the only deli I know offering GF sandwiches!

2.  Shark Week.  Yes, I’m fascinated with sharks, and yes, they terrify me, but every time I watch Shark Week, I get a little less scared, and just more in awe.

3.  Taco Night at my cousin’s house!  Combine my favorite people with my favorite food… does it get any better than that?  🙂