A 2-year-old, named Logan Moore, from Georgia went viral for having a walker built for him by his local Home Depot. Many didn’t find the story cute and instead pointed out the massive disparities in the U.S. healthcare system.
Moore has low muscle tone, known as hypotonia, and his parents were unsure if their insurance would cover a walker for their son, so they turned to Home Depot out of desperation.
https://twitter.com/fox5dc/status/1133514034773237760
One of the employees, Jeffrey Anderson, helped the family search for parts and ended up building Moore the walker.
Even better? It was given to Moore for free. Anderson wrote about the experience on Facebook.
“Everyone was crying to see Logan walk around with the biggest smile on his face,” Anderson wrote. “Thank to all that help and for being a blessing to this family and to this little guy.”
https://www.facebook.com/jeffrey.anderson.948/posts/10214682708324751
Once the news hit Twitter, people were less than impressed. In fact, they were fuming.
Many were upset the family had to depend on Home Depot for medical care. The story reinforced the idea that healthcare in the U.S. has become a luxury in which many people are unable to afford the basics in order to survive.
Heartwarming maybe yes, but this is actually a sad commentary on our healthcare system
— Andrew Bailey (@drubailey) May 28, 2019
https://twitter.com/KK0618/status/1133768052791828480
To be clear: a disabled child having to use a makeshift walker built out of cheap DIY materials instead of an appropriate walking aid designed and fitted by qualified medical professionals is not awesome. It’s a travesty. https://t.co/UmrVmsFe9X
— Abbi Brown (@AbbiBrown92) May 29, 2019
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) also weighed in and tweeted that he was horrified the employees had to do this.
It’s awesome that the Home Depot employees did this.
— Seth Moulton (@sethmoulton) May 29, 2019
It’s horrifying that they had to. https://t.co/D2N9FdMAoh
Updated reports claim that Moore will be getting a real walker after all.
This has not stopped Twitter from making comments on why the young boy was unable to afford one in the first place and how insurance companies the U.S. remain the gatekeepers for survival.
In the richest country in the world, disabled children have to rely on charity because for-profit insurance won’t pay for a walker?
— Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) May 29, 2019
This is not “AWESOME.”
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- What is Medicaid—and how is it different from Medicare?
H/T Uproxx