EPLA Goal: Paying for Part of Medical Bills

By: Nick Carrington EPLA Editor

Two years ago, a cousin of ours had a miscarriage. She also almost lost her life. Her and her husband dealt with the grief, the sadness, the physical recovery, and the bills. As with all miscarriages, it was a tragedy.

That cousin is due to have her second child (first born) in two months and has had a healthy pregnancy. She recently shared with us how joyous it was to save for medical bills for the birth of her coming little one. At first, that notion seemed crazy. Medical bills? They typically agitate us, sometimes to the point of angst as we argue with insurance companies and forego other desires to scrape enough together to keep debt collectors at bay. How can saving for them bring such exuberance?

We came to understand that the pain of paying necessary medical bills for her miscarried child made the act of saving for this baby a joyous one. Paying the necessary money for her child would always be worth it. But, after taking the financial hit without the reward of a little one, our cousin has a new perspective on what real “cost” is.

At the EPLA, we know just how hard it can be to receive medical bills after a miscarriage. Those numbers on a piece of paper can feel like a dagger to an already lacerated heart. And depending on when you receive your bills, it can feel like they’ve opened a wound that just started to scar.

One day, the EPLA hopes to help people who have miscarried by paying part of their medical bills. It won’t heal that wound completely, but maybe it can be a balm that provides a little relief. It will be one more way we can come alongside those suffering.

Right now, we aren’t in a position to achieve this goal, but we are actively setting aside money for this purpose and with every donation, we get a little closer, and that gives us hope.

If you have miscarried, know that we have thought about the totality of your pain, including the agony of paying medical bills. At some point in the future, we aim to ease that pain just a little, and maybe for a moment, engender some peace. 

Medical bills can open up wounds, but the EPLA hopes to eventually help ease that burden.

Nick Carrington is an Editor for the EPLA and Assistant Professor of Professional Writing at Cedarville University​​.