You’re Absolutely Right, Jimmy Kimmel: Money Shouldn’t Dictate Whether You Can Save Your Child’s Life

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I recently watched Jimmy Kimmel’s heartfelt monologue about the health scare involving his newborn son, and I found myself in tears, just like many others who were moved by his words. The line that struck me most was, “If your baby is going to die and it doesn’t have to, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make.” That simple yet profound statement took me back to my own health crisis five years ago and the life-altering conversation I had with my doctor.

At 19 weeks pregnant with twins, everything seemed perfect until a routine ultrasound revealed a serious issue. I was diagnosed with an incompetent cervix and told that I was in labor, despite feeling no contractions. My cervix was open, and without immediate medical intervention, my water would break within days. Given that the twins were only 19 weeks along, they wouldn’t survive a premature birth.

What came next was just as shocking as the news about my children’s lives being at risk. My doctor laid out three options:

1. Rush to the hospital for emergency surgery to stitch my cervix and endure strict bed rest for the next four months or however long possible.
2. Allow nature to take its course and deliver stillborn babies shortly.
3. Choose an abortion and end the pregnancy on my own terms.

Most parents in this situation would instinctively pick the first option, driven by the fierce instinct to protect their children. I did just that, and soon I was on my way to the hospital with my husband. But I couldn’t shake off the question: why were those last two options even presented? Who would willingly choose not to fight for their child’s life if given the chance?

Fortunately, after an arduous 122 days of bed rest in the hospital, I delivered my twins healthy and full-term, with no NICU time required. It wasn’t until I received the itemized hospital bill a month later that the gravity of those last two options hit me—I found out that saving my twins’ lives had cost a whopping one million dollars. Thankfully, I was fully insured, so my out-of-pocket costs were just over $4,000, a mere fraction of that staggering total.

It dawned on me why my doctor even mentioned the other options. In 2011, before the Affordable Care Act, the conversation was indeed about money. I was fortunate to have the means to fight for my children’s lives. Had my twins been born prematurely, the NICU costs would have likely surpassed the total for my entire hospital stay.

As Jimmy Kimmel rightly pointed out, “No parent should ever have to decide if they can afford to save their child’s life.” Before the ACA, parents without proper insurance faced the tough choice of foregoing medical intervention due to financial constraints.

Imagine making the agonizing decision to avoid treatment for your child simply to dodge a monumental financial burden because of an uncontrollable medical condition. It’s heartbreaking to think of families grappling with such impossible choices, hoping for a future pregnancy free of complications and financial strain.

Kudos to Jimmy Kimmel for reigniting this crucial healthcare discussion. There should be only one option offered by healthcare professionals: to do everything possible to save a life without the burden of financial worries.

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In summary, Jimmy Kimmel’s poignant words remind us that the ability to save a child’s life should not depend on financial means. Every parent deserves access to the best medical care without the fear of unaffordable bills.