Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app

Continue in app Continue in browser

225.7K

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

ADVERTISEMENT

The American healthcare system has been refusing to leave the top of the headlines recently. But not for good reasons. Just think about it—the woman who was mauled by a bear said that the worst part of the horrific ordeal was dealing with health insurance providers. What about the time when someone shared an invoice of $39.35 for holding her own baby right after he was born? There have been one too many failed American healthcare stories that make our blood boil, but unfortunately, we seem to be far from the last one.

This time we are covering the horrifying story of Michelle DuBarry, a Portland-based writer, that shows how supposedly the greatest country on Earth failed its citizens at the darkest point of their lives. After DuBarry’s 1-year-old son died after being struck by a careless driver, she “sat at his bedside, his tiny, stitched-together body hooked to a million incessantly beeping machines, straining to recall what our deductibles were.”

Read DuBarry’s heartbreaking Twitter post below that will make you question everything you took for granted in life.

More info: Twitter

The woman shared her personal story on Twitter

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: DuBarryPie

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: DuBarryPie

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: DuBarryPie

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: DuBarryPie

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: DuBarryPie

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: DuBarryPie

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: DuBarryPie

ADVERTISEMENT

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: DuBarryPie

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: DuBarryPie

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: DuBarryPie

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: DuBarryPie

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: DuBarryPie

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: DuBarryPie

Michelle DuBarry tells her story in detail on her personal website. “In 2010, my husband Eric and our son Seamus were struck by a careless driver in a crosswalk near our home. Eric sustained minor injuries, and Seamus died the next day after enduring two surgeries and a night in intensive care. Our hospital bills totaled $180,000, and though most of it was covered by health insurance, we still had thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket medical expenses.”

The family “soon learned that our health insurer was entitled to reimbursement out of these funds, effectively reducing our settlement to $0.” As a result, DuBarry initiated a bill that would match the laws in many other states where the injured party is “made whole” for all damages from the at-fault party’s insurance before the injured party’s medical insurer gets paid. The bill was signed into law last year on the 20th of June and now stands as Seamus’s legacy.

ADVERTISEMENT

People around the world were left speechless

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: alverz2007

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: KashJackson2018

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: SydneyNudist1

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: FarlaneTeri

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: shroommuse

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Image credits: jljacobson

This is what people had to say

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

ADVERTISEMENT

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

27-Hour Hospital Stay Leaves Parents Of A Killed One-Year-Old Not Only In Grief But Also In $175k Of Medical Debt

Liucija Adomaite

Liucija Adomaite is a creative mind with years of experience in copywriting. She has a dynamic set of experiences from advertising, academia, and journalism. This time, she has set out on a journey to investigate the ways in which we communicate ideas on a large scale. Her current mission is to find a magic formula for how to make ideas, news, and other such things spread like a virus.

Liucija Adomaite is a creative mind with years of experience in copywriting. She has a dynamic set of experiences from advertising, academia, and journalism. This time, she has set out on a journey to investigate the ways in which we communicate ideas on a large scale. Her current mission is to find a magic formula for how to make ideas, news, and other such things spread like a virus.

Mantas Kačerauskas

As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, I indulge in the joy of curating delightful content, from adorable pet photos to hilarious memes, all while nurturing my wanderlust and continuously seeking new adventures and interests—sometimes thrilling, sometimes daunting, but always exciting!

As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, I indulge in the joy of curating delightful content, from adorable pet photos to hilarious memes, all while nurturing my wanderlust and continuously seeking new adventures and interests—sometimes thrilling, sometimes daunting, but always exciting!

What do you think ?

Nickitams 4 years ago

Cant praise our NHS enough when you read these stories.

59points

Ashley Wright 4 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Load More Replies...

ADHORTATOR 4 years ago

My mother is in intensive care for a month, and it will last at least two months...we have to pay 0 (in letters: zero). The advantage on a good european health system.

51points

Seff Ka 4 years ago (edited)

I went to a hospital here in Strasbourg for a simple operation. The doctor did not finished it in a first run, telling me that he knows better what to do, so I had to come again, a week later, for more serious operation. During the waiting for the anesthesy drug to kick in I spend around 15 minutes in a bed. I was bored so I've tried to occupy my mind by reading everything around me. Well, almost all of the tubing on all apparatus in my vicinity had a sign that it should be replaced two years ago. I've tried to point it out to the medical stuff and I believe it started a big commotion there. Anyhow, I was presented with the excuses of the doctor who did the first operation (you can imagine how good are those) and the bill for 3000 and something that I had to send to my insurance company, which covered about 90% of the bill. Not exactly 0 as some of us describing it here. I am not saying it is bad though.

4points

Load More Replies...

Emily Softley 4 years ago

As wonderful as our healthcare in Europe and other counties can be, can I point out how it must feel to be an American reading about our £0 bills while going through this. My deepest sympathies to anyone fighting with insurance over healthcare - you deserve better!

42points

NeverGoWoke 4 years ago

Exactly, our health care in Europe and Canada may not be perfect but everyone in America deserves so much better.

33points

Load More Replies...

Drive Bee 4 years ago

Most Americans are convinced that the care in other countries is substandard and that the waiting lists to get treatment are so long that you never get the care you need in time. And that the systems are all on the brink of bankruptcy. These are the stories that are told here. We need to hear the good stories!

4points

Spikey Bunny 4 years ago

I think about my insurance every single day. :(

2points

Rebecca Olberding 4 years ago

My mom is a diabetic and has a few other problems, making her unable to work. She's on SSD and gets her retirement now, but even with Medicaid (provided from her SSD) and another insurance, We are still paying about $150 on insulin out of pocket every month. That's not nearly as bad, but when you consider that insulin is pennies on the dollar to manufacture but they'll still charge my mom $75 for her Lantus (that she needs to take EVERY DAY) it gets kind of ridiculous. I'll be turning 26 this year. I won't be covered by my dads insurance anymore, despite still living under their roof still. I need to find coverage from my birthday until the new year when I can get coverage from the government and imagining having to pay over $100+ a month plus my medicine keeps me up at night. I work, but I don't make that much.

1point

Laura Maeflower 4 years ago

Yeah I was kind of just thinking that. I wouldn't want to read about people's $0 trips to the hospital if I was losing everything to it.

0points

AlphaPuck 4 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Load More Comments

Nickitams 4 years ago

Cant praise our NHS enough when you read these stories.

59points

Ashley Wright 4 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Load More Replies...

ADHORTATOR 4 years ago

My mother is in intensive care for a month, and it will last at least two months...we have to pay 0 (in letters: zero). The advantage on a good european health system.

51points

Seff Ka 4 years ago (edited)

I went to a hospital here in Strasbourg for a simple operation. The doctor did not finished it in a first run, telling me that he knows better what to do, so I had to come again, a week later, for more serious operation. During the waiting for the anesthesy drug to kick in I spend around 15 minutes in a bed. I was bored so I've tried to occupy my mind by reading everything around me. Well, almost all of the tubing on all apparatus in my vicinity had a sign that it should be replaced two years ago. I've tried to point it out to the medical stuff and I believe it started a big commotion there. Anyhow, I was presented with the excuses of the doctor who did the first operation (you can imagine how good are those) and the bill for 3000 and something that I had to send to my insurance company, which covered about 90% of the bill. Not exactly 0 as some of us describing it here. I am not saying it is bad though.

4points

Load More Replies...

Emily Softley 4 years ago

As wonderful as our healthcare in Europe and other counties can be, can I point out how it must feel to be an American reading about our £0 bills while going through this. My deepest sympathies to anyone fighting with insurance over healthcare - you deserve better!

42points

NeverGoWoke 4 years ago

Exactly, our health care in Europe and Canada may not be perfect but everyone in America deserves so much better.

33points

Load More Replies...

Drive Bee 4 years ago

Most Americans are convinced that the care in other countries is substandard and that the waiting lists to get treatment are so long that you never get the care you need in time. And that the systems are all on the brink of bankruptcy. These are the stories that are told here. We need to hear the good stories!

4points

Spikey Bunny 4 years ago

I think about my insurance every single day. :(

2points

Rebecca Olberding 4 years ago

My mom is a diabetic and has a few other problems, making her unable to work. She's on SSD and gets her retirement now, but even with Medicaid (provided from her SSD) and another insurance, We are still paying about $150 on insulin out of pocket every month. That's not nearly as bad, but when you consider that insulin is pennies on the dollar to manufacture but they'll still charge my mom $75 for her Lantus (that she needs to take EVERY DAY) it gets kind of ridiculous. I'll be turning 26 this year. I won't be covered by my dads insurance anymore, despite still living under their roof still. I need to find coverage from my birthday until the new year when I can get coverage from the government and imagining having to pay over $100+ a month plus my medicine keeps me up at night. I work, but I don't make that much.

1point

Laura Maeflower 4 years ago

Yeah I was kind of just thinking that. I wouldn't want to read about people's $0 trips to the hospital if I was losing everything to it.

0points

AlphaPuck 4 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Load More Comments

Back to Homepage

More about Social Issues

Next in Social Issues

Related on Bored Panda

Related on Bored Panda

Trending on Bored Panda

Also on Bored Panda