Utah parents flooded with support after battle over Spina Bifida surgery

Thank you for coming forward with this story. I sincerely hope and pray that the baby will be able to have this surgery. My daughter was born 19 years ago with myelomeningocele, a severe form of Spina Bifida, however this surgery wasn't available then. She has had medical issues her whole life and has had about 12 surgeries. She's struggled to use braces and crutches, and has been confined to a wheelchair for about the last ten years. She has to take medication for bladder and bowel problems and has had countless infections, some of which she had to be hospitalized for. These are some issues which will continue throughout her life. I could continue on...but what the insurance company needs to realize is the amount all the medical care is going to cost throughout this baby's life. Have some compassion and think how this surgery could improve this baby's health, this baby's life...this family's life. Having a child, and a sibling with Spina Bifida affects everyone. Give this baby a chance at a better more fulfilling life. A life with less struggles, less surgeries, and less medical care. I wish with all my heart I could have done this for my daughter. Please allow these parents the opportunity to do this for their daughter. After all, Spina Bifida is a birth defect and living with it is hard enough. To this family, I wish all the best for your daughter and for all of you. I hope you don't take me wrong, I love my daughter more than life its self, and I don't regret having her. I only wish I could have made her life better and easier. I pray you get the chance to do that for yours. May your daughters birth bring you much happiness and joy. God Bless you all.

Thank you for keeping us up to date on this story. I hope that EMI is starting to see the benefits of this surgery and allow the Killpacks to go forward with it.

As the mother of a child with the Spina Bifida, I can say had this surgery been an option when I was pregnant I would have done in a heart beat. While there is no way to "beat" Spina Bifida there are ways that the effects of this birth defect can be reduced. This surgery has proven that it will reduce many of the issues that occur, such as developmental delays, loss of or reduced motor function, bowel and bladder issues, and numerous other health problems. It is absolutely unacceptable that an insurance company has the ability to refuse to cover a service that in the long run will save money for them by lessening the costs of other services that will be needed after birth. This isn't even in the experimental stages any more either. This procedure is now considered a standard of care. With the President's new health care law, we are forced to buy health coverage so, why aren't the insurance companies forced to cover the services needed?

Okay, I am in FULL support of this couple's desire to have the surgery that might lessen the disability for their daughter who will be born with SB. I think insurances SHOULD pay a percentage, at least. So many other useless things are covered by insurances and this procedure certainly doesn't fall under the "useless" category! I do have a few problems with the story itself. First, it's not SPINAL BIFIDA, it's Spina Bifida. Secondly, it's not a disease, it's a congenital anomaly and lastly, you can't BEAT SB, you just have to overcome the many challenges day by day throughout your life--with the love and support of others and, I suppose, doctors should get some credit. I hope this dear child does have full benefit of this surgery, however risky, if that is her parent's wishes. If it decreases the disablitly, even by 1%, then it will be well worth the money for the operation. If insurances were actually smart, they'd allow this operation in the hopes of preventing more costly operations in the future that this child will surely need throughout her life-especially if she's born with the most severe form of SB-Myelomeningocele.. which is most common. If they'd look at it this way, then they'd be saving themselves money in the future for her care. It all makes sense, I think.

This miraculous procedure is the STANDARD of care. When did EMI fall below-standard? And since WHEN does an insurance company have this kind of power? The surgery saves money. The surgery works. The surgery is standard practice. Every other baby with spina bifida will have the option for this surgery. Every baby... except babies with EMI insurance, apparently.

Thank you again ABC News for covering this very important issue. Please check your facts EMI and realize that this is no longer experimental surgery. Time is of the essence! Reconsider today!! Del Taco is to be commended for such generous support. I look forward to a news story Saturday showing long lines at the restaurant throughout the day. If I were near by it would definitely be my food choice.

What great coverage by ABC 4!!! It is so important that the insurance company can see this as a child's life and a family's hope rather than just another business expense. EMI needs to be a trend setter and set the stage for others!

The MOMS trial is a NIH-sponsored multicenter clinical trial which began in 2002 to evaluate what was the best treatment for myelomeningocele — fetal surgery or surgical repair after birth. The clinical trial results showed prenatal surgery significantly reduced the need to divert, or shunt, fluid away from the brain; improved mental development and motor function; and increased the likelihood that a child will walk unassisted. The MOMS trial has proved that some of the factors causing problems like Chiari II malformation and hydrocephalus are in fact those that develop during the second half of pregnancy. Closing the fetus’s back early may allow some nerve function to be restored in pregnancy, and actually reverse the development of this serious condition. This unborn child needs the benefit of the available medical technology and science to give her every chance to have a normal life.

Thank you, ABC 4, for continued coverage on this story. Great story at 5:00 last night!! And Del Taco, thank you for your support, as well! We were humbled to hear this part and will definitely be there on Saturday to show our support!

Thank you for your coverage ABC4! I can't wait to hear the story tonight that says, "EMI has updated their information and will cover Millie's surgery!" Del Taco, here we come!