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ORIGINAL: dcnovice

Bush pere and I didn't often agree politically, but he always struck me as a decent guy. I thought this was a cool, compassionate move.

Bush 41 shaves head in support of 2-year-old cancer patient

[T]he ex-president has shaved his head in solidarity with a 2-year-old leukemia patient, Patrick....

Patrick is the son of a Secret Service agent, Jon, who is assigned to Bush’s security detail in Kennebunkport, Maine. (Their last names were withheld at the family’s request.)

Recently, other members of the security unit started to bare their domes in support of Patrick, and they started to raise money for his treatment.

The 89-year-old Bush and his wife, Barbara, took notice. They had lost their second child, Robin, to leukemia 60 years ago in October at the age of 4.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/24/19662020-bush-41-shaves-head-in-support-of-2-year-old-cancer-patient

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I agree this is cool but I wonder why the family of an agent needs to raise funds for treatment. The federal employee health plan is just about the best thing going.

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ORIGINAL: dcnovice

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I agree this is cool but I wonder why the family of an agent needs to raise funds for treatment. The federal employee health plan is just about the best thing going.

That I don't know.

I do know from my own medical adventures this year that illness brings a host of expenses not covered by insurance. Aside from copays, transportation to and from appointments can add up, particularly if the nearest hospital is some distance. (The flight from DC to NYC to consult with my surgeon at Sloan-Kettering was nearly a thousand bucks alone.) Depending on how often treatment is, Patrick's dad may be burning through leave and find himself getting less than his usual pay or even nothing after a while.

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I agree this is cool but I wonder why the family of an agent needs to raise funds for treatment. The federal employee health plan is just about the best thing going.