Letter to the Editor

Letter I sent to the editors of various local papers:

The primary is over and the results are in. Scott Walker will be running against Tom Barrett and come November, Wisconsin will have to decide on the direction we want to move in. This election is important to all of us, but for my family it truly is a personal affair.

My daughter Ruby is 13 months old, and at one day of life was diagnosed with several rare and very complicated congenital heart defects. At 3 1/2 months old she had her first open heart surgery. She also has a genetic condition which affects everything from her GI system to her cognitive development. She has fought hard for every minute of life. And despite it all she has become a loving and caring toddler. Because of her condition we DEPEND on BadgerCare as supplemental insurance. We would not be able to survive without it.

Ruby requires a specialty formula that costs around $50 a can. A can of this formula lasts approximately two days; that's over $9,000 a year. And while it is not covered by our primary insurance, BadgerCare does pay for it. BadgerCare also covers thousands of dollars worth of co-pays, home medical equipment, and the therapies my daughter requires to survive and thrive. Scott Walker has already said he will be cutting many aspects of BadgerCare. Will my daughter be one of the people cut from his list? Will this little 13 month old girl suffer because of the wealthy class' need for a tax break?

BadgerCare is not just for families who are in economic hardship. There are tens of thousands of children, not to mention how many adults with disabilities in this state who need supplemental disability insurance to live. Will they be on Scott Walker's list? Will they be punished for the greed of others as well?

There is another reason the election of Walker terrifies my family so, and that is his desire to cut stem cell research. Ruby was born without a pulmonary artery. In her open heart surgery a cadaver's artery was transplanted into her body. This will not grow with her as she ages, and so she will require approximately six more open heart surgeries before she reaches adulthood. With each of those surgeries the risk of her dying is very great. But with stem cell research it is possible that doctors will be able to transplant a pulmonary artery that will grow with Ruby. This could mean the difference between life and death for my child and countless others who suffer from similar heart conditions.

There are many other reasons to vote for Tom Barrett over Scott Walker in November. But if you can't think of any, remember my daughter. Ruby loves books and cats, cuddling with her family, and swinging in the back yard. She would not have made it this far without BadgerCare and neither would we. Her chance at life may be cut short along with all of the other cuts that Walker proposes to make.

Our society is what we make of it. In this country and in this state we get to decide what values we will place in high regard. Do we want to throw out human compassion for selfish greed? Please say no. Please show my daughter that people can choose to do the right thing. That the people of Wisconsin will decide to value her life over the size of their wallet.

Sincerely,
Kerry Tylenda-Emmons