Quick Break in My 'Fast' - For Amelia Rivera

I shouldn't be surprised. Every time I try to 'fast' from blogger and facebook, something really urgent draws me back. Such is the case today. A friend emailed this story to me, of a friend of a friend, and my heart was just shattered. I knew I had to post about it and get more people involved. Very briefly, this is Amelia Rivera (aka Mia)

She is almost three years old and has Wolf-Hirschorn Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes cognitive impairment. Amelia also has kidney failure, and she needs a transplant.Her mom posted a heartbreaking story today about their recent visit to the doctor whom they thought would perform the transplant. He informed them this week that he will not. Why? Because, in his exact words, he does not find her eligible because she is 'mentally retarded' and therefore has no quality of life.Ok, after you pick your jaw up off the floor, you can go read the story yourself. You can read it here.

There is a petition you can sign at change.org urging the hospital to allow Amelia's transplant.Please, go and sign it. There is also the hospital in question's facebook page here. You can stop by there and post what you think about this doctor's discrimination.

I'm going to be honest at the risk of getting nasty comments,but... I actually took it a step further and I emailed the doctor directly at the hospital and also located him on facebook and wrote him a private message.

Don't worry, I wasn't rude. I was honest and to the point. I'm sure some of you will think that went too far, but that's your opinion. If you've read my blog long enough, you know I am brazenly outspoken about things close to my heart. Hearing of a doctor in OUR country in THIS day and age so blatantly prejudiced against an innocent child because of her cognitive impairment literally made me sick. I was nauseous reading the mother's account. To me, this doctor's attitude is no better than that of those Nazi doctors in the last century who rationalized their child killings by explaining that 'infirm' children were 'not worthy of life.'

I need to go now. I am covered in hives. Why? Because just the idea that this American doctor is putting the life of a beautiful little girl in jeopardy because he has decided to play God...just... no words. I can't wrap my head around it.

Please go add your words of support. Sign the petition. Email the hospital. Do what you can to make the message LOUD AND CLEAR: Every life is sacred.

Even yours, Dr Jorge Baluarte -- as much as I hate to admit it right now --even yours.