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ORIGINAL: marieToo

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ORIGINAL: Sternhand4

Its tragic that the child died. But the true tragedy is that the mother failed him.

"The Driver children have never received routine dental attention, said their mother, Alyce Driver. "
Its not the states job to insure that a parent looks out for their child.
Its not an insurance companies fault that for months she ignored the problem.

I agree. A routine extraction that didn't take place because his mother didn 't get him to a dentist is not the fault of the state of health care issues in America.  We aren't talking about thousands and thousands of dollars worth of hospitalization, we are talking about routine dental cleanings and preventative care. A child's prophylaxis is about 65 bucks. And a couple of annual x rays cost about 12 bucks a piece. In fact, she couldve taken the kids to her local dental/medical training facility and paid next to nothing to have this work done by dental students under the supervision of licensed dentists.  This could've been prevented by regular dental care and good at-home hygiene.  I am a former dental assistant and licensed dental radiographer who has worked for several dentists in the past,and I don't know any reputable dentist who turns away those without insurance.  They will take care of you and you can send them 10 bucks a month if thats all you can afford.  As long as you send them something regularly, dental care is available to whomever wants to get it.  They do not turn you away because you dont have dental insurance.  Sorry.  Mother's neglect on this one.

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ORIGINAL: redpetals

I think it is  BOTH  parent's fault.
They could have gotten an antibiotic at ANY walk in free clinic.
Don't any one dare blame this country for this tragedy.
Uncle Sam is not our friggen keeper!!!!!
Everywhere I turn I see people blaming others for the beds they sleep in.
We have more opportunity in this country than ANY WHERE IN THE WORLD.
And you can take THAT to the bank.

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ORIGINAL: Sternhand4

I dont blame the child, I blame the parent/s. As they article doesnt mention the father, or as its commonly refered to in the hood, "my baby's daddy" so its tough to say that there's blame there.

I still hold the mother responsible. She and only she ( unless the father is known ) is to blame. I would say that her other child needs to be taken from her as well for his safety.

I ( and many others ) would have loved to have more than( 2 in my case )  UM's but I knew that taking care of them would be beyond what economic means that I had at the time. So I made a choice to have fewer and do more for them.
 
Our country isn't inhumane.We have programs to help the less fortunate, and sometimes the system fails. Especially if you dont try hard enough. Can you imagine not taking your UM to the dentist and allowing a problem like this, I bet not.
 
As for national heathcare I and others oppose it. For many reasons, it will never happen here. I would support a national insurance system. But first I'd support a system to make people like this kids parents less likely to breed indiscriminately.

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ORIGINAL: Gauge

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Its tragic that the child died. But the true tragedy is that the mother failed him.

Really? I have no idea but I can almost bet you have never been in a situation that you had to rely on the government for your health care.

Wrong, I had goverment coverage in the USAF, but as a kid there was a period when my mom was on assistance, we lived in the projects for 18 months. She worked her way off and I would still say she wouldnt have ever let a situation like this develop.

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 "The Driver children have never received routine dental attention, said their mother, Alyce Driver. "
Its not the states job to insure that a parent looks out for their child.
Its not an insurance companies fault that for months she ignored the problem.  

Newsflash, Ace... If her children would have had the insurance coverage they would have gotten the routine care they needed. You assume quite a lot about the mother's ability or lack of ability to care for her children.

Newsflash,, She let her child die due to her not seeking a dentist. Also there isnt a requirement for insurance, she could have made payments, or any number of ways, probono, dental schools etc.
Trying to shift the blame to others is the norm now unfortunately.

I can go hunting for the article but forcing/overseeing the parents care of their children has become an issue recently. There was a court order for a mother to look after her severely overweight son. You are right in saying that it should not have to be, but in some instances it is necessary.

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 But as taxpayers we will pick up the check for her lack of attention.
" For instance, Deamonte's bill for two weeks at Children's alone was expected to be between $200,000 and $250,000."  

Stop already. This is the most asinine of comments. The problem COULD have been solved for substantially less namely the price of routine care and a tooth extraction. Yes, taxpayers will foot the bill or the hospital will write off the bill or both but can you not see the flaw in your logic? Rather than have a $250,000 hospital bill it would make more sense to solve the root of the problem than it would be to pine about your tax dollars.

I agree that the problem could of been solved more economically. But again the mother let it get out of hand. So whats your solution caped medics with mental telepathy? The people closest to the problem failed, end of story. Its no different than the people who go extreme hiking / skiing and get trapped on a mountain top. We spend thousands to save them but It was their choice that put them in that situation. Shouldnt we hold them responsible?

Look, I am not attacking you so please do not think that my post (though strongly worded) is a flame. I have needed health care and I have been unable to get it because I do not qualify for it through my job, nor do I qualify for it through any government agency because I earn more than their income requirements. So I have not had any routine medical care for almost five years now. The funny thing is that when I was a child I got into a habit called eating and I have yet to be able to kick that habit... I cannot afford to get routine care and the normal tests that go with it and eat too. True that this is my problem but I am but one of many in the same situation.
I agree its a problem, and the guy in the middle has it the worst, not rich enough to not worry and not poor enough to get assistance.
I'd love to see a national insurance program for working people.

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I dont blame the child, I blame the parent/s. As they article doesnt mention the father, or as its commonly refered to in the hood, "my baby's daddy" so its tough to say that there's blame there.

I still hold the mother responsible. She and only she ( unless the father is known ) is to blame. I would say that her other child needs to be taken from her as well for his safety.

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 I ( and many others ) would have loved to have more than( 2 in my case )  UM's but I knew that taking care of them would be beyond what economic means that I had at the time. So I made a choice to have fewer and do more for them. 

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 Our country isn't inhumane.We have programs to help the less fortunate, and sometimes the system fails. Especially if you dont try hard enough. Can you imagine not taking your UM to the dentist and allowing a problem like this, I bet not. 

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 As for national heathcare I and others oppose it. For many reasons, it will never happen here. I would support a national insurance system. But first I'd support a system to make people like this kids parents less likely to breed indiscriminately.  

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ORIGINAL: Gauge

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ORIGINAL: marieToo

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ORIGINAL: Sternhand4

Its tragic that the child died. But the true tragedy is that the mother failed him.

"The Driver children have never received routine dental attention, said their mother, Alyce Driver. "
Its not the states job to insure that a parent looks out for their child.
Its not an insurance companies fault that for months she ignored the problem.

I agree. A routine extraction that didn't take place because his mother didn 't get him to a dentist is not the fault of the state of health care issues in America.  We aren't talking about thousands and thousands of dollars worth of hospitalization, we are talking about routine dental cleanings and preventative care. A child's prophylaxis is about 65 bucks. And a couple of annual x rays cost about 12 bucks a piece. In fact, she couldve taken the kids to her local dental/medical training facility and paid next to nothing to have this work done by dental students under the supervision of licensed dentists.  This could've been prevented by regular dental care and good at-home hygiene.  I am a former dental assistant and licensed dental radiographer who has worked for several dentists in the past,and I don't know any reputable dentist who turns away those without insurance.  They will take care of you and you can send them 10 bucks a month if thats all you can afford.  As long as you send them something regularly, dental care is available to whomever wants to get it.  They do not turn you away because you dont have dental insurance.  Sorry.  Mother's neglect on this one.

I would suggest that you go back and read the article again before you condemn the mother for neglect.
I read the article and neglect is extremely clear
 

I am really adamant about this... if you have never been on her side (or my side for that matter) of the fence it is really too easy to just write this off as neglect. You have no idea what people must actually go through in order to get the available agencies to help and when they do most doctors want nothing to do with the insurance that they DO provide. I guess getting poor people into their office will impede their medical practice somehow.

Oh... and yes, some doctors not all doctors will allow you to pay over time, but if you cannot afford even $10 dollars a month then how do you expect people like this to get any care at all?

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I read the article and neglect is extremely clear

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ORIGINAL: Gauge

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I dont blame the child, I blame the parent/s. As they article doesnt mention the father, or as its commonly refered to in the hood, "my baby's daddy" so its tough to say that there's blame there.

I still hold the mother responsible. She and only she ( unless the father is known ) is to blame. I would say that her other child needs to be taken from her as well for his safety.

Well now you really kind of set me off with this post. Now you make generalizations and basic stereotyping? And you didn't stop there...

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 I ( and many others ) would have loved to have more than( 2 in my case )  UM's but I knew that taking care of them would be beyond what economic means that I had at the time. So I made a choice to have fewer and do more for them. 

You do realize that sometimes things that are beyond our control do happen... right?
Again lets blame others for our problems

A good deal of people are one missed paycheck from being homeless, but it is their fault that they are in that situation... right?
Yes, work harder/ longer save more etc...
When our grand parents returned from WWII they knew they werent smarter than anyone else. They just worked harder than anyone else
It is time for a reality check.

I agree

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 Our country isn't inhumane.We have programs to help the less fortunate, and sometimes the system fails. Especially if you dont try hard enough. Can you imagine not taking your UM to the dentist and allowing a problem like this, I bet not. 

Of course I would do anything whatsoever to obtain whatever medical attention my children needed even if it meant that I would suffer as a result. However you are asking this question of people that likely have the means to get proper health care.

So you and I have to do anything, but others dont have that responsibility

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 As for national heathcare I and others oppose it. For many reasons, it will never happen here. I would support a national insurance system. But first I'd support a system to make people like this kids parents less likely to breed indiscriminately.  

I won't even come near this comment because it speaks for itself.

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ORIGINAL: Sternhand4

I dont blame the child, I blame the parent/s. As they article doesnt mention the father, or as its commonly refered to in the hood, "my baby's daddy" so its tough to say that there's blame there.

This is a very bigoted statement.  You ASSume that because these people are black and on assistance that they live in "the hood" and are ghetto.  Just because the father isn't mentioned doesn't mean he wasn't there.  Poor people live in suburbia too. 

I still hold the mother responsible. She and only she ( unless the father is known ) is to blame. I would say that her other child needs to be taken from her as well for his safety.

What about this article suggests that she doesn't know who the father of her um is?  She didn't neglect him.  She tried to get him care and was discouraged because the cost was prohibitive for her.

I ( and many others ) would have loved to have more than( 2 in my case )  UM's but I knew that taking care of them would be beyond what economic means that I had at the time. So I made a choice to have fewer and do more for them.
 
It's a shame people with your views of the world are allowed to procreate at all.

Our country isn't inhumane.We have programs to help the less fortunate, and sometimes the system fails. Especially if you dont try hard enough. Can you imagine not taking your UM to the dentist and allowing a problem like this, I bet not.
 
Again, if you read the whole article, it talks about the obstacles she and her lawyer encountered trying to get assistance.

As for national heathcare I and others oppose it. For many reasons, it will never happen here. I would support a national insurance system. But first I'd support a system to make people like this kids parents less likely to breed indiscriminately.

Another ASSumption.  You don't know that these um's were conceived/sired indiscriminately. 
 
Drawing from my own life; My parents were well able to afford the 4 um's they had together, that is until my dad decided he didn't want to be a husband and father anymore.  This took us  ( mother, sister, 2 brothers and myself) from being part of the upper middle class income bracket to the lower income bracket.  We lost our dwelling, our transportation, our insurance, our grocery money, our bill money, everything...oldest um was 16, youngest was 2 months.  SO unless you know ALL the fact don't make blanket statements.  As far as you know, those un's were conceived in a seemingly stable household and it fell to pieces and she was doing the best she could.  I will pray that you and yours never fall on hard times.

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ORIGINAL: Sternhand4

Is it arrogant to ask that people care for their UM's I hope not
I knew that pointing out facts in this issue would bring out the "your a racist" comments. Grow up.
Responsibility is the issue not color.
I personally dont care what color the woman is.. Plenty of other races live in the hood. I live a few blocks from the hood myself. This is where I learned the term " my baby's daddy"  I wasnt aware that this was a racist term, more of a desciption of the fact that the guy wasnt a husband.

But it is a fact that allowing your child to die from something like this is neglect. Her attorney should have done more, for her. So should the doctors involved but letting it get to that state is unthinkable.

I know its fashionable to blame others, the system etc but at the end of the day being poor ( and many less fortunate would agree ) isnt an excuse for ignoring a medical condition for months especially in your UM's,

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ORIGINAL: sharainks

No amount of antibiotic is going to get rid of an infected tooth. Treat the infection yes. While it may be the parents fault they are poor and not providing for their children it is not the child's fault and no 12 year old should die because of it. So, I am daring to blame this country's attitude towards the care of children's health including dental for this situation. They should not be paying with their lives for any reason whatsoever.

I would be more than happy for my tax dollars to pay for medical or dental care for a child. A whole lot happier about that than funding the war in Iraq, which we appear to have endless funding for. Chalk this up to more govt. shortsightedness. Fail to pay the 80 bucks to pull a tooth and pay hundreds of thousands to deal with the end result of that attitude.