Gabby Giffords Amazing Progress and How It Relates to Us

I caught the special 20/20 program last night with Diane Sawyer and her interview about U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ)

To say that I was moved is a slight understatement. Giffords' courage, determination and dedication from the professional team helping her were awe inspiring. I ‘m amazed by the progress she’s made since being shot in the head last January.   

It brought to mind the similarities in injury to a friend of mine’s daughter. The teenage girl underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor from her pituitary gland and had a stroke during the process.

Like Giffords, the left side of her brain incurred the damage, thus making the right side of her body challenged to move. Her speech and cognitive thinking have also been compromised. In fact, watching Gifford's walk is remarkably similar to my friend’s daughter.   

However, what is vastly different is the level of therapy (two hours a day) Giffords receives that has contributed to her more rapid ability to link words and some small sentences together. 

There is no doubt that Giffords is receiving the best care from the best resources in the world, and all on the dime of U.S. taxpayers. I’m not saying that’s wrong. After all, she was injured on the job and she was working for the U.S. government when her incident occurred.   

What I am saying is that limits to good healthcare resources (because of insurance constraints) has restricted my friend’s daughter from receiving the same level of therapy and rehabilitation.   

Why cap this child’s ability to receive intensive therapy simply because her healthcare insurance may not be the same as someone working in Congress?  

Here is where health care reform should be focused.

Unfortunately Obamacare is not the answer.   

Why can’t we make it simple? Just let everybody have the same insurance the politicians do. Problem solved.