R.I.P. Ian Riley Malone 1999 - 2004

[AlGore-08.com]

I know it's been awhile since I've posted at DU, but I wanted to let you know that Dylan and Christine Malone's son Ian passed away early Saturday morning.

Ian had a short but difficult life. He suffered profound neurological damage due to medical errors made during his birth. He was unable to suck, swallow or gag properly, which made it difficult for him to breathe without having the secretions suctioned from his mouth by machine, and required him to be fed by a tube through his abdomen.



Ian spent the first three months of his life in the hospital, then was able to go home with to family with the aid of almost round the clock home nursing care. But Aetna baulked at the cost and announced that they would no longer provide the care that Ian needed to stay alive. A company representative told the Malones that the only solution to their problem was to give Ian up for adoption, because the government would provide the necessary care.

Desperate to save their son, the Malones sent his story to every influential person they could think of. Against all odds, Ian's story reached Vice President Al Gore, whose personal intervention caused Aetna to restore Ian's care.

Dylan and his wife Christine are very active in the Washington State Democratic Party, and have spent countless hours working for state and national health care reform. We run AlGoreDemocrats.com together.

In lieu of flowers, the Malone family requests that donations be made to Hospice of Snohomish County 2731 Wetmore Suite 500 Everett, WA 98201