This petition's cause is to request the continued Medicaid benefits for 7 yr old Ethan May who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis.
It has been brought to my attention, that benefits under the Katie Beckett Waiver for Ethan May, Cystic Fibrosis disease patient, are being terminated. Ethan May (a Black Belts for Christ member) has been covered under this program for the past 4 years. The loss of these benefits will be devastating to Ethan and his family, due to the extreme high cost of medical treatments. This family is able to provide the skilled care that a certified nurse and respiratory therapist would provide on a daily basis. In fact, Ethan’s father has gone back to school to earn a nursing degree to help care for Ethan at home.
Ethan’s Mom and Dad are skilled in administering intravenous medications which are required on a regular basis with this disease. Both parents are skilled in multiple forms of respiratory physical therapy and perform this therapy on a daily basis for Ethan. Ethan receives the exact same level of care in the home, as he receives in the hospital. His parents daily perform the tasks of a certified respiratory therapist and nurse.
These benefits allow Ethan’s family to assist in his care at home. When terminal patients can be cared for at home among a loving group of care providers, it is better for everyone concerned. It doesn’t make sense that he should have to be hospitalized on a consistent basis to receive these benefits. At this time medical equipment, such as a chest physiotherapy vest (ABI Vest Airway Clearance System), and other breathing machines are located and used in the home to maintain lung capacity for breathing and fighting infections.
The Katie Beckett Medicaid benefits allow this family to purchase the needed medication that is required daily to fight infections, and digest food intake. The May Family pays for many items out-of-pocket that are NOT covered by any type of insurance (therapies, healthcare equipment) and in Ethan’s case the family has to purchase nutritional supplements and extra food for him to maintain and gain weight.
As an obvious man of faith, we call on you as the Honorable Governor of the State of Georgia, to do all in your power to insure that Ethan's Medicaid coverage continued uninterrupted.
Ethan's very life is in your hands.
