What is Digg?115 Comments
- NanoStuff, on 10/12/2007, -5/+22How can the government expect a 1 year old child to have obtained health insurance? The kid can't even walk, much less fill out health insurance forms.
If you're an adult, that's your problem, but how can any right minded government deny treatment to an infant because they don't have sufficient insurance?
I ask because I don't live in the USA, and it's stories like these that remind me why. - orientis, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17Disclaimer: I am not trolling.
From the article: Type 1 SMA is usually fatal; most Type 1 babies will die before their second birthday. Those infants who survive into childhood are in for a long road of occupational therapy, wheelchairs, and assistive devices. Despite years of work on its treatment and "ongoing promising research," it has no cure.
What exactly then, am I contributing to? A child who will most likely die within the year or a child who will grow into a life of nothing but physical therapy?
I don't mean to sound cruel or harsh or cold, but there are many other kids in the world who have a chance at a normal, happy life, if you donate to them. I would suggest, if you can spare the money, that you sponsor a child in a third-world country, or give to the Save The Children charity, rather than giving money to this particular child without much chance.
Like I said, I'm not trying to start a flamewar here, just giving my two cents. - Civil44, on 10/12/2007, -4/+20Cute kid I wish them the best of luck
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+17He didn't setup the page, which you'd see if you actually read it. It's friends of his at a record label who feel bad for the family. If you don't feel they deserve any help, don't read the article and don't donate.
- orientis, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11I almost lost a friend because I told her that homeopathy was nonsense and a fraud. People believe the strangest things.
- heavensblade23, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12Why doesn't his wife try getting a job first? The article said he's the only wage-earner. And though I feel for the kid, I'm not donating money so they can use it all on "alternative medicine." Alternative medicine is something to try on a lark when you've got a headache, not when your kid might die in a year from a serious illness.
- jhbradl, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10I feel really sorry about their situation. However, they didn't think to get a better health insurance plan before they had a child? How did they expect to pay for the child's birth and other expenses. At the very least his wife should have some sort of a job, no mater what it pays, that will cover their family (ie a govt. job). Then he could be free to produce all of the music he wanted.
I hope things work out for the best. - orientis, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12Christ will you take your pointless bickering somewhere else? You aren't contributing anything. Grow up.
- devindotcom, on 10/12/2007, -6/+14If you've never heard Jawbox before, here's a link:
http://hype.non-standard.net/search/jawbox/1/
now let's get it on with the giving! - tatinthehat, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12I have much respect for the work that J. Robbins has done with his bands, and producing, as well with DeSoto Records.
I hope everything will turn out well for them. - heavensblade23, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8I was talking about her getting a job to put the money towards medical bills.
- dgulbran, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10@heavensblade23
Pre-existing condition. Even if either one of them were to get a job with a group policy, all (or at least nearly all) insurers would treat this as a pre-existing condition and exempt it from coverage. Welcome to healthcare in America. - DrSteveD, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7The kid is not being denied medical care. He is getting medical care and will continue to get medical care. The article is asking for donations because the parents want to try alternative therapy that the insurance company won't pay for because it is completely useless. Everyone needs to realize that the kid has SMA and there is absolutely nothing that can be done to save the kid from the disease. The bottom line is this kid is going to die and there is nothing that can be done about it. I know this is hard for lay people to understand but there is nothing that can be done. The insurance company will pay for pallitive care but they won't and should not support any alternative therapy, they simply do not work. The end result is going to be the same, this kid is going to die.
- HappyScrappy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8I'm sorry for this trouble.
But I have the same answer as when people asked for money for the people who saved Richard Hammond when he crashed that car.
I don't take fame into account when selecting who to make my charitable contributions to. Fame (permanent or temporary) just isn't part of the equation that determines how deserving you are of charity. - meepus, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8jhbradl is right! He isn't saying that the child's situation isn't tragic or is unworthy of attention, but he's absolutely correct in saying that this family really could've taken more steps to be adequately prepared for this sort of thing.
- raid517, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7As far as I understand it they are not even sure if they can afford basic treatment.
And in answer to your question, I'm afraid the response is yes - alternative treatments are often covered, including homeopathy, acupuncture, hypnosis, herbal medicine and so on. I say 'unfortunately' as I personally think the vast majority of it is bunk - but I guess when the prognosis they have been given is that the child will die before he is 2 - and that conventional medicine can't help - they don't have much choice but to clutch at straws like this.
Poor kid though. He looks really sweet and has wonderful eyes and such a warm smile.
I guess if the few bucks is spent just giving his parents some hope then it is still worthwhile. - drumkingsven, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10I am a big fan of J.'s music, producing, and kindness. I was fortunate enough to meet him in NYC a few months ago when his new band played here, and he was incredibly gracious.
That aside, I must say this to all the Diggers who don't understand the sacrifices musicians make to perform good music. Talent goes largely unappreciated in the States, and most musicians don't receive health care or great pay when they work 40+ hours a week touring, playing music, and working in studios. I am fortunate enough to have a job where I work in a studio and have insurance. However, for years, I toured and had no health insurance, and I was lucky enough to make it out unharmed, but I know many people who haven't.
I plan on giving them something to help. None of you are obligated to help out. And if you are so worried that charities will takeover your precious Digg, then just Bury this story, and any other that comes along that you dislike. That is the whole point of this website.
But I never would have found out about this if it weren't for Digg. I extend my thanks to sonaboy for creating this thread. - negativefx, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10sure, bury my previous comment because it didn't involve a gushing ballad about how much everyone should donate to this guy. stop and think for a second... if any non-semi-famous person posted an article about their sick child, and their inability to maintain a sufficient income to support their family through thick and thin, they would get no support. but because this guy chooses a career path that doesn't bring home enough bacon, he deserves handouts? bury me all you want, but it's true
- MasterLJ, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9God damn, some of you are unsympathetic, heartless bastards. I pity you and the miserable lives some of you must lead and hope that you one day find yourself in a position of need only to receive some of the same sentiments given here.
- kronzdigg, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9Alternative therapy in these situations are a total rip off. ANY DONATION IS STUPID.
sad situation though.
in the interest of complete disclosure i am a M.D. - orientis, on 10/12/2007, -5/+11"but this story made it to Digg so quit typing out stupid ***** and send $5 bucks."
So this is a more worth charity because it hit the front page of your favoured news aggregator? Get real. This is one child who will almost certainly die. Your money will not help anyone.
Institutions like Save The Children are far more worthy of my big mac money. - Konrad9, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6This is a horrible disease and I feel extremely sorry for these people.
Someone should set up a charity to research diseases like this, so that the money can go towards cures...
Oh wait.
Seriously, their situation sucks, and I am in no way saying they don't deserve help, but why do they deserve it more than others in that situation? Does being famous make your sick child more important?
Donate to the people finding the cures, so that these kids won't even need help in the future. - jvphobic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I am willing to bet that J. Robbins is taking EVERY medical aspect into consideration. They will probably do anything and everything that is covered by their medical insurance. But if was YOUR child, would you not want to investigate all routes that may lead to a better life for your kid? Robbins is a very smart man, I would be willing to bet that he is not taking his child to any sort of quack for his "alternative" methods. But the LAST thing that any parent wants to think is, "What if..."
I plan on donating. Not because I saw it on digg (I originally saw it on punknews.org), but because I love what J. Robbins has brought to the musically community over the past 15 years. Go and download the album "My Scrapbook of Fatal Accidents". You will instantly fall in love with his music.
But, if they would want to make a small mint, the could have a 2 or 3 night Jawbox reunion concert. I would fly to DC for that.
PS. The US SHOULD have universal healthcare. Because I am willing to bet that we could do it better than any other country. We usually do. - devindotcom, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Then you're more likely to give to someone closer to you. If we all give to someone, there should be enough to go around. This guy has the benefit of a little publicity.
- Occamsrazr, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Why is he getting dugg down? He's just pointing out that genetic counseling can make people aware that they are carriers of a deadly disease. This disease is caused by recessive traits. If people know this they can choose to adopt instead.
- Shaggy3, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7I don't think stories just suddenly appear on front page with 500+ diggs and 70 comments.
Maybe I'm wrong? - funk49, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@jhbradl
The husband might be the only wage earner because he wife needs to stay home and take care of the child. It's not easy to dump your kid into daycare when they're sick. Most daycare workers won't take care of sick kids.
I feel bad for this guy, but this dude needs to drop his music career for the time being and get a job that has benefits. Priorities man...the day your wife gave birth is the day your life changed forever. Indie Record company A probably doesn't have the best insurance and you need to handle business. This really sucks for the baby - Hegemony, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7Very sad, very few of people with this disease survive to adulthood. If they have another child there's a 25% chance this could happen again. A good example of what genetic counseling can prevent.
- negativefx, on 10/12/2007, -6/+10I feel bad for the whole family, but if my kid's life was on the line, I'd put my music career on hold and get a job that provides health benefits.
It's not hard to find one. An example would be a job at a local cell phone store...and I'm in no way affiliated with them, but Cingular pays extremely well (50k+) and has great health benefits. It's pretty easy to get a job at places like this and you definitely do not need any college degree to do so. Just a good personality, which I'm sure this guy has.
There's plenty of avenues that the family can go down for support that don't include asking for donations! - DannyBoy7783, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4He has a point. As rude as it is this guy isn't any more or less important than anyone else. I think there are probably more deserving people out there and less deserving people.
- tupuli, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Note that they're asking to donations for "alternative medicine" that is "of course... not covered by health insurance." Should other people pay higher premiums/taxes so you can pay someone to practice unproven medicine?
From the article (which you apparently didn't read):
"It is an understatement to call this a heartbreaking situation. It also stands to be an unbelievably expensive one, especially for a household where the only wage-earner is a self-employed indie recording engineer. It remains unclear just how helpful J.'s single-payer insurance will be.
Allopathic ("conventional") doctors, while energetically engaged in research into this condition, can offer no cure for Callum. There may be some hope — even if only for a better quality of life — in alternative routes and therapies. These, of course, are not covered by health insurance."
Does "universal healthcare in Europe" cover all manner of treatments? - socbret, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Tempnegro4
I'm sure I speak for many when I say that, you you absolutely no idea what you are talking about. I think you just earned the coveted *Most Ignorant Comment Ever* prize...twice in one thread. Congratulations dumbass. - NoStoppingUs, on 10/12/2007, -7/+10well, here in america, we believe people should actually have to pay for things. i know. silly concept, but healthcare is not a right, despite what people want to believe. sure, the situation sucks, but that's reality. maybe he could go over to canada and wait 6 months to get an appointment?
- tinhat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I saw Murder By Death last night in Covington, KY and the singer told the crowd about this. I didn't make the connection to Jawbox at the time, though. MBD actually asked people to not buy their merch and instead donate to the SMA fund, which I thought was a great gesture.
As for Jawbox, man, what a great band. Few bands could rival the energy they had, both live and on an album. They, along with Quicksand, were in constant rotation in my cd player during high school. - iumentum, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4J. Robbins was one of the most influential people in my teenage life. He was the front man for Jawbox!!! Jawbox always made a point of coming through puny Pensacola Florida, next to where I lived. I saw them there 3 times in my teenage years.
I remember I wrote him a letter once after they had signed to Atlantic. 2 months later when they came through on tour I talked to him and he remembered my letter and discussed the points I brought up in it. He was totally sincere and accessible and just all around a good guy.
Why does this kind of stuff happen to good guys?
I wish I could help more... - martinofforms, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4if you aren't comfortable donating money directly for whatever conservative reasoning you have invented. Why not go buy some of his records? Burning Airlines, Channels, Rollkicker Laydown or Jawbox are all incredible bands. You'll be helping without having to admit it and you've still managed to get some kick ass music.
- benijuana, on 10/12/2007, -9/+11ok...this is a horrible situation, i feel absolutely awful for the kid, and i wish him the best, and i think reaching out for donations is the right thing to do
however... digg isn't the place to do it. this could become a slippery slope. yes, donating to this kid is a noble cause, but if the digg front page becomes cluttered with charities, it could do more harm than good, and could open digg up to many dishonest money-making schemes - devindotcom, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8Would you be more likely to help out your friend's kid? Or the kid of someone who has helped you? Well, a lot of people are thankful to Jawbox for making music they like, so this is their chance to thank him. Stop being such a ***** idiot.
- loveandrockets, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Exactly.
Medical science says "in the past, people with this condition have this ______ and live for x years when treated with this ______" It's cold, brutally honest, and not compassionate but it's science.
Alternative medicine says "We can help you with anything if you give us x dollars." That's quackery. - DrSteveD, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4It's not that real doctors don't know what to do it is that there is nothing they can do nor anyone can do. I don't understand why people don't trust physicians and try some of these alternative therapies that have no scientific basis. Anyone that tries to convince them that there is hope for a cure is just making the situation worse for everyone. Donate if you want your money to go to a con-artist promising a false sense of hope.
- frostedflakes, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I feel the same way, what country do you live in? Finland? Here in the U.S. there isn't enough money to go around for social causes because the U.S. government is pissing away all of it murdering people in the Near East.
- sogracefully, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3not all homeopathy is pseudoscientific "voodoo". st. john's wort has been clinically tested and shown to reduce symptoms of depression, and it's even been tested extensively enough that researchers saw a drug interaction with oral contraceptives. now, i see it as valuable to know about homeopathic alternatives to antidepressants that are even LESS safe for people (consider that paxil was prescribed for hundreds of thousands of adolescents, and THEN they found out that it increased suicidal ideation in adolescents).
- liveinabin, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I owe J big time for all the wonderful music he's made over the last decade. I'm going to try help out the best I can. This sucks, if he lived in my country he'd get this all for free.
- bitt3n, on 10/12/2007, -12/+13it sounds like the kid is going to live long enough to bankrupt them, and that's it.
"There may be some hope — even if only for a better quality of life — in alternative routes and therapies."
and out of desperation they're going to try some homeopathic voodoo because the regular doctors don't know what to do. - Mesach, on 10/12/2007, -29/+30How can I setup a donation page for myself somewhere?
I'm broke(sorta, I just moved cross country to keep Los Angeles from taking any more of my money), I don't have health insurance, And I REALLY want to go snowboarding.
Someone please donate to me - orientis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You're confusing homeopathy with naturopathy. St John's Wort has been used for thousands of years.
Homeopathy is pure bunk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy - negativefx, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2wow, I've never seen a comment get deleted before! good job temp.
- tatinthehat, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6@ temp
Oh okay, so let's all do jobs we all hate for the rest of our lives and think about shooting ourselves in the head because of a ***** job... - cmallinson, on 10/12/2007, -5/+7"...healthcare is not a right, despite what people want to believe."
If you are saying that a one year old child should be denied medical care for any reason at all, then you are an idiot.
"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, proclaimed that 'everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of oneself and one’s family, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care.'" - raid517, on 10/12/2007, -7/+8Must suck to be an American when you have to beg for charity to look after your sick kids...
Thanks God for Universal heath care in Europe... -
Show 51 - 100 of 107 discussions
Check out the new & improved 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is