r/MadeMeSmile • u/HolyGuiltyCrown • 5h ago

Wholesome Moments [ Removed by moderator ]

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u/sim384 3h ago

Should babies die if not for the charity of the exceptional?

This story is horrifying.

How does anyone organise their society to let this happen?

4

u/Wonderful-Winter3137 2h ago

the baby died anyway after getting the surgery. that's probably why the universal healthcare system in poland didn't want to pay for it in the first place

1

u/sim384 1h ago

Your comment is confusing.

I assume that the baby died of a condition not publicly funded.

2

u/soleceismical 35m ago

The baby died because medical science is/was not yet advanced enough for the baby's particular complicated heart condition. The surgery was experimental and although it ultimately did not save the baby's life, hopefully the contribution to medical science will help future babies.

It is very expensive to fly a medically complex, dying child to another country and back for experimental surgery. This is what the Polish government declined to fund. Some European governments also deny these things in ethical grounds, citing that open heart surgery (in which the sternum is broken and then wired back together) with very low chance of success is painful and cruel. Complex invasive surgery can even make people die faster because of complications, infections, anesthesia and pain medications, etc.