Dear Gov. Riley

Gov. Bob Riley
State Capitol
600 Dexter Avenue
Montgomery, Alabama 36130

Fax: 334-353-0004

Dear Gov. Riley,

I am writing to protest the cutoff of Medicaid funding for Lauren Rainey, the disabled thirteen year old profiled by Bruce Mildwurf on WMPI. Lauren breathes through an artificial airway which needs to be suctioned clean several times an hour, 24 hours a day. Her family currently receives 10 hours of professional nursing care courtesy of Alabama Medicaid. If that care is taken away, Lauren could die.

One would think that helping disabled children would be a no-brainer for a politician, the sort of thing that comes as naturally as shaking hands, kissing babies, and ostentatious displays of patriotism. Your statement to WMPI shows otherwise. I was horrified to see you blame the people who are fighting for Lauren for frightening a child, when it is obvious that it is the Medicaid cutoff, and not the fight to stop it, that is scary. I was genuinely embarrassed for you when you insisted that there were other programs to help Lauren, but were unable to name any. Did you not expect a follow-up question? Don’t you prepare for encounters with the press?

Thanks to activists like Michael More, Duncan Black, and Nick Dupree, this case has received worldwide coverage. You could seriously embarrass your administration by allowing this young girl to die.



Sincerely



Rob Loftis