Comments on: Empowerment for the young, fit, rich, and beautiful… http://omegamom.com/2009/05/09/empowerment-for-the-young-fit-rich-and-beautiful/ A "good enough" mom muses about alpha moms, adoption, computers, the State Of The World, Internet quirkiness, and the Kosmik All Fri, 25 May 2012 03:00:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: lisa http://omegamom.com/2009/05/09/empowerment-for-the-young-fit-rich-and-beautiful/#comment-81437 lisa Tue, 12 May 2009 04:55:41 +0000 http://omegamom.com/2009/05/09/empowerment-for-the-young-fit-rich-and-beautiful/#comment-81437 I'm very sorry about D. But I feel that you are conflating different experiences. Those of us who were born with limb differences-1 in 4000 births, though some are more noticeable (my former boss had a digital difference that only I knew about)-most of us,like my cousin and I, benefited from the services of Shriner's Children's Hospitals. We didn't need to be rich or beautiful, and we didn't even need to be indigent-thanks to the fundraising efforts of Shriner members worldwide, we received free services, including prosthetics. Many children now receive their first prosthetic from Shriner's as toddlers, simply to ensure that their development is balanced on both sides of the body. There are also a few charitable foundations whose mission is to provide prosthetics (my professional organization just gave an award to one). I think the main difference between someone who is born this way, and someone whose circumstances change due to disease is expectations, what you describe as "go getter." Yes, Aimee is beyond the age for Shriner's services, but she was raised with the expectation that opportunities would exist for her. At the same time, I declined prosthetics, and my cousin couldn't benefit from them. He walks as if on stilts, and has two fused fingers per hand. Yet we both have very happy successful lives, and I am looking forward to dancing at his wedding in a few months. The prices you mention, are about the equivalent of IA-something many of us never thought we could afford, yet managed in the "hour of need." Again, I am very sorry about D. But I'm not comfortable with equating Aimee's experience with privilege. ~lmc I’m very sorry about D.

But I feel that you are conflating different experiences. Those of us who were born with limb differences-1 in 4000 births, though some are more noticeable (my former boss had a digital difference that only I knew about)-most of us,like my cousin and I, benefited from the services of Shriner’s Children’s Hospitals. We didn’t need to be rich or beautiful, and we didn’t even need to be indigent-thanks to the fundraising efforts of Shriner members worldwide, we received free services, including prosthetics. Many children now receive their first prosthetic from Shriner’s as toddlers, simply to ensure that their development is balanced on both sides of the body. There are also a few charitable foundations whose mission is to provide prosthetics (my professional organization just gave an award to one). I think the main difference between someone who is born this way, and someone whose circumstances change due to disease is expectations, what you describe as “go getter.” Yes, Aimee is beyond the age for Shriner’s services, but she was raised with the expectation that opportunities would exist for her.
At the same time, I declined prosthetics, and my cousin couldn’t benefit from them. He walks as if on stilts, and has two fused fingers per hand. Yet we both have very happy successful lives, and I am looking forward to dancing at his wedding in a few months.
The prices you mention, are about the equivalent of IA-something many of us never thought we could afford, yet managed in the “hour of need.”
Again, I am very sorry about D. But I’m not comfortable with equating Aimee’s experience with privilege. ~lmc

]]> By: Sister Carrie http://omegamom.com/2009/05/09/empowerment-for-the-young-fit-rich-and-beautiful/#comment-81241 Sister Carrie Mon, 11 May 2009 05:14:36 +0000 http://omegamom.com/2009/05/09/empowerment-for-the-young-fit-rich-and-beautiful/#comment-81241 Interesting point. I think the same could be said of many technological advances -- how likely is it that regular people will benefit from stem-cell research, for example? But what I will remember about this post is D's story. Thanks for sharing it. Interesting point. I think the same could be said of many technological advances — how likely is it that regular people will benefit from stem-cell research, for example? But what I will remember about this post is D’s story. Thanks for sharing it.

]]> By: Jean http://omegamom.com/2009/05/09/empowerment-for-the-young-fit-rich-and-beautiful/#comment-81158 Jean Sun, 10 May 2009 20:46:44 +0000 http://omegamom.com/2009/05/09/empowerment-for-the-young-fit-rich-and-beautiful/#comment-81158 A really great post. One I would hope more people would see. D had Stim amputations which left him with his heel bones and managed to still get around with a cane, but painfully. He'd have agreed with your description of him and the problems of so many amputees. We must do better for all of them now, not in some starry future, but it will cost more in taxes, fees and research costs not only on prostheses but on regeneration of tissues.Again thank you. A really great post. One I would hope more people would see.
D had Stim amputations which left him with his heel bones and managed to still get around with a cane, but painfully. He’d have agreed with your description of him and the problems of so many amputees. We must do better for all of them now, not in some starry future, but it will cost more in taxes, fees and research costs not only on prostheses but on regeneration of tissues.Again thank you.

]]> By: carosgram http://omegamom.com/2009/05/09/empowerment-for-the-young-fit-rich-and-beautiful/#comment-81080 carosgram Sun, 10 May 2009 13:21:06 +0000 http://omegamom.com/2009/05/09/empowerment-for-the-young-fit-rich-and-beautiful/#comment-81080 I am so glad you posted this. For families like yours who deal with the real world in prosthetics it has to be so psinful to watch the 'feel good" stories on the morning tv news shows about amputees with arms that actually work because they have been connected to the brain, legs that enable them to walk nearly pain free, and restored facial features which are unnoticeable to casual eyes. I am glad for everyone of those lucky few who are taken up by some sponsor and given a prosthesis which is top of the line. I wish as a country we did not find body disfigurements so repellent that we don't want them displayed in public, nor are we willing to acknowledge how common they are. We are not willing to insist that insurance companies pay for prosthetics nor are we willing to pay for the very soldiers we send into harms way to have top of the line prosthetics when we 'boot them out' of service for the injuries suffered on our behalf. I am sorry about your brother, D. He sounds human, just like most of our brothers and sisters. Not a saint and not a wastral - just a brother who lived a hard life and died too young. Thinking of you and wishing you the best. I am so glad you posted this. For families like yours who deal with the real world in prosthetics it has to be so psinful to watch the ‘feel good” stories on the morning tv news shows about amputees with arms that actually work because they have been connected to the brain, legs that enable them to walk nearly pain free, and restored facial features which are unnoticeable to casual eyes. I am glad for everyone of those lucky few who are taken up by some sponsor and given a prosthesis which is top of the line. I wish as a country we did not find body disfigurements so repellent that we don’t want them displayed in public, nor are we willing to acknowledge how common they are. We are not willing to insist that insurance companies pay for prosthetics nor are we willing to pay for the very soldiers we send into harms way to have top of the line prosthetics when we ‘boot them out’ of service for the injuries suffered on our behalf. I am sorry about your brother, D. He sounds human, just like most of our brothers and sisters. Not a saint and not a wastral - just a brother who lived a hard life and died too young. Thinking of you and wishing you the best.

]]> By: Johnny http://omegamom.com/2009/05/09/empowerment-for-the-young-fit-rich-and-beautiful/#comment-81074 Johnny Sun, 10 May 2009 12:49:55 +0000 http://omegamom.com/2009/05/09/empowerment-for-the-young-fit-rich-and-beautiful/#comment-81074 Amen! When I see commentators on TV who spout just K-razy stuff on the air. I ask myself, "If you weren't very attractive, could you spout these incendiary diatribes? If you were UGLY, would we skip to the next channel?" Sorry about D, but that is the real world as you say. Amen!

When I see commentators on TV who spout just K-razy stuff on the air. I ask myself, “If you weren’t very attractive, could you spout these incendiary diatribes? If you were UGLY, would we skip to the next channel?”

Sorry about D, but that is the real world as you say.

]]> By: Jo http://omegamom.com/2009/05/09/empowerment-for-the-young-fit-rich-and-beautiful/#comment-81029 Jo Sun, 10 May 2009 08:07:11 +0000 http://omegamom.com/2009/05/09/empowerment-for-the-young-fit-rich-and-beautiful/#comment-81029 I'm so sorry you have this story to tell but this was an amazing post. I’m so sorry you have this story to tell but this was an amazing post.

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