Something I originally posted to Facebook.
WARNING, heart wrenching and controversial content!
Ok, all of the wonderful people out there in FB land who were wondering
about a reply I sent to an old friend. Normally I'm pretty private, but
this is important. This week is the 11th anniversary of my 23 year old,
pregnant daughter's death. She was my only child. She died from
complications of her pregnancy at 2 months pregnant, from a blood clotting
disorder called Factor V, or Leiden's disease. Usually the only symptom is
sudden death. She died in my arms after a couple of days of life saving
measures failed. The first hospital she went to sent her home after she
complained about abdominal pain. The report said that she was throwing up
coffee grounds, and anyone who has any medical knowledge knows that is
coagulated blood. She did not have medical insurance and they sent her
home. 2 days later she was admitted to a different hospital that did
everything they could to save her life, but it was too late. I can't tell
you how how broken I am, it never gets easier. A simple blood test could
have headed this off as this disease is easily treated with blood thinners.
And they don't cross the placental barrier. But she didn't have medical
insurance because she was 23 years old and no longer covered under my
insurance, before the ACA. She was my only child and my best friend, and
I was looking forward to being a grandparent and then I wasn't even a
parent anymore. If the blood thinners didn't work, this is one of those
cases where terminating the pregnancy could have saved my daughter's life.
Now there is no life, only sorrow. I am permanently broken and the only
way I can make any sense out of this is to have anyone you know who is
pregnant tested for this horrible disease. It is one of the largest causes
of death among pregnant women worldwide, but you won't get tested for it
if you don't ask. The most horrible thing is that the number one cause of
death for pregnant women in the United States is domestic violence (MURDER!). So as a
parent who now is never going to be able to change the fact that my
daughter Jenn is dead, please try to keep our young people insured,
please try to keep a woman's reproductive choices open, and please
understand the personal impact of putting profits before people.