Saturday, February 13, 2010

Health and Cost- Which Supersedes?

Sure, we all know that our health and  life are worth more than all the good in the world. But in practice?



We like our home, it is a decent price and in a great community. However, having a baby hospitalized with viral pneumonia and our older son also hospitalized at this age with the exact same illness made me wonder if there was something about my home that is causing them to get sick.
In the children's ward where we were hospitalized, out of 18 children in the ward, 4 of them were from my community, and 3 of them from my block.
Quite a high percentage of  kids from where I live, especially as my community is in the next city over, not even in the same city as the hospital.
Today we went back to the doctor because we were concerned that perhaps my baby's oxygen saturation level dropped, and while there, I mentioned the disproportionate number of kids in the hospital from my block. My block overlooks a clandestine factory that pollutes the air to an extreme. My community is at the top of a mountain and my block is the first row of buildings close to this pollution and we act as a filter for the rest of the community, breathing in all the pollution so the rest of the residents further up the mountain could breathe cleaner air.
Is it any wonder that there is a high rate of children from my block alone hospitalized with respiratory problems when we're breathing in so much filth?
This enviro-hazard business has been reported many times, but its owners have mafia ties and bribed officials to fudge the numbers on the pollution studies. After many years of wreaking environmental damage on my community, this business is still operating strongly. While I would love to get involved  in a  lawsuit with this pollutant, I feel I may get nowhere.
Fact of the matter is, the doctor said we're probably be a lot healthier if we moved off our block.
Our block is the cheapest on in our community, and even if we found a cheap place further in, we'd still need to pay for a move, not so cheap.

I also found out in the hospital about many things that I was doing "wrong" that may have contributed to my son's illness. None of these are an exact science, but more like suggestions as to what could  have contributed to the problem. ("Hairy" blankets and my husband's smoke covered work jacket (he doesn't smoke but people who smoke  hang out with him) to name a few.) To get rid of all these "possibly could have"s in the hopes that our children will be healthier by doing so is a costly proposition.

When does health supersede cost? If something was an absolute, for sure I'd do it. But all these "maybe it will make you healthier" even if not an exact science- how much money would you be willing to spend on something with the possibility of it making your health better, but no guarantee?

I have no answer to this question, but i was hoping you readers might.

1 comment:

  1. If you can not decide what is more important: the money or the environment, try not breathing the next time you count your money.

    ReplyDelete

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