Huffington Post Article about the Memorial Fund

Here is the piece I wrote at the request of Huffington Post. They wanted to know more about why the Plumfund had been created. If they like it, I think they'll be publishing it. I could also be invited to blog for them a couple times a month. I hope they offer me a blogger position. It could be just the exposure and platform I need to promote the various causes I want to bring to people's attention. Besides the business about life insurance policies, I plan to support organ donation, CHD and HLHS awareness, the Ronald McDonald House foundation (#rmhfamilyforever), Make-A-Wish, and medical research around transplants and stem cell treatments.

Let me just start by saying how much I dislike asking people for money. I grew up poor and always prided myself in my work ethic and ability to provide for myself and break the cycle of poverty. From the moment we found out about Sebastian’s Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome diagnosis at 19 weeks along, friends and family wanted to know how they could help. Sure we had fundraisers and such, but even when we were sent to Stanford unexpectedly in November of 2012, where we remained for a year waiting for a heart transplant (and eventually had a risky open heart surgery to prolong the inevitable), I never once started a crowdfunding site. Nor did I, when once again my baby took a sudden turn for the worse shortly after his 4^th birthday, and we were life flighted down to Stanford to await transplant once more. So why a Plumfund now?

Well, my worst nightmare came true! My amazing, smart, and funny heart warrior lost his battle on July 20^th. Sebastian loved life and was loved by so many in his short 4 years! He fought hard and overcame so many odds that no matter what, we thought he was going to make it. His story always amazed and inspired all who heard it. So his death shocked all of us. Adding to the blow came the cost of burial. Having to pay not one, but two, mortuaries and transportation to get him back home to Oregon from California and laid to rest in just the right spot, was more than I could have imagined. But of course, being the responsible person I am, I had a life insurance policy to cover it all right!? WRONG! I am responsible. I did have a policy for Sebastian at one point. I did not have one when he died.

Shortly after Sebastian was born, Gerber sent me (like they do all new parents) a packet of information on buying life insurance policies. I knew the road ahead was going to be hard and the odds were stacked against my beautiful baby boy, who had just undergone his first of three major open heart surgeries at three weeks old and come back to us after his heart stopped just an hour post-op (something the surgeon told us was “a miracle”). So like I mentioned, being that responsible person that I am, I contacted Gerber about buying a policy. I was saddened to find out that because of my Miracle Monkey’s congenital heart defect (CHD) they would not sell me any kind of coverage for him. I called other life insurance companies and got the same response; they don’t cover children born with CHDs. Fast forward two years and I was back to teaching public school full-time. Part of my benefits package included the chance to buy a life insurance policy for dependents. Naturally, I was excited because they couldn’t exclude him. I paid on the policy for almost two years, but during Spring Break we got the news that his heart function was decreasing and that he would need more surgeries or a transplant soon. I left my job to take care of him. By Mother’s Day he was in heart failure and within a week we were back at Stanford waiting for heart transplant. Since I had to leave my job, I lost my benefits, including the life insurance policy.

The day Sebastian left us, another heart mom asked if she could start a Plumfund to help with the cost of his memorial. Faced with something a parent should never have to do: bury their young child; I said “okay”. No parent should have to take out credit cards and put their house on the market to cover funeral expenses because they were denied a life insurance policy they were willing to pay for. My new mission is to bring awareness to, and hopefully an end of CHD and other childhood illness exclusions by life insurance companies.

With help from many loved ones, Sebastian was laid to rest after a perfect service. His presence was felt in the train whistle that blew in the distance as we put his favorite Thomas the Train engines on his casket. And when he shined a ray of light down on us as the balloons released by all the children in attendance floated up into the vast blue sky. I thank everyone who was involved in helping honor his sweet spirit and I send blessings to those who have said prayers or words of comfort, shared his Plumfund, or donated to his memorial.