A twelve-year-old girl is suffering from an unusual weight gain disorder that has reached a fatal level in her body. She has been desperately trying to raise money to get gastric bypass surgery to save her life.
Fox reports on the girl's rare disease and gastric bypass surgery.
“A 12-year-old Texas girl with a rare weight-gain disorder has successfully raised more than $55,000 to pay for life-saving gastric bypass surgery,” according to Fox.
Two years ago the little girl was diagnosed with an unusual brain tumor. Surgeons removed the mass from her head but in the process damaged her hypothalamus and pituitary gland. This damage caused the rare condition the young girl suffers from today; the condition is called hypothalamic obesity.
Fox news explains the side effects and consequences of the condition, “She constantly feels hungry and is prone to extreme overeating. According to a post by her mother, Jenny, the girl has gained 140 pounds in the past two years and currently weighs about 190 pounds.” The mother went on further to say, “It is a beast, and we have tried so hard to control it. But it has been found that no amount of diet or exercise will stop this obesity.”
Doctors told the girl’s parents that gastric bypass surgery might save her life. The family pleaded with their insurance company to pay for the young girl’s gastric bypass surgery but the insurance company refused stating that the girl is too young. But the family did not give up; they looked for other avenues to raise the money. Fox reports, “Desperate for a solution, the family started an online fundraising campaign and have successfully raised more than $55,000 to pay for the operation.” The girl is expected to undergo the operation as early as next week.
Question: If a surgeon is willing to perform the surgery to save the life of the patient, do you think the insurance company should be paying for this life-saving surgery, despite the young girl's age?