So tens of millions of people in the country cannot access basic health care to maintain health or treat basic conditions, But an outrageous amount of money and resources were expended here--why? This is the problem with a death-denying culture. This was a tragedy that should have been faced, after which everyone should have moved on. The real tragedy is lack of decent, basic care. I have experience in a neo-natel ICU, and I met providers who left that service because they were having serious doubts about the ethics of supporting life at the edges of viability. This case should raise the same ethical issues, but it won't because we as a society are too queasy to think critically about these excruciatingly difficult issues. 

Maybe, after seven babies and at age 40, mother nature is sending a message.

This story is pretty amazing;  primarily because of the selfishness of the parents;  they already have 7 kids and then learn in plenty of time for an abortion that this kid is going to be severely disabled and in need of super expensive surgery to be even close to normal.  They call this kid their 'Million Dollar Baby'  ;  Who do they think is paying the Million dollars for their kid?  You guessed it:  All the other folks on the same insurance plan who have to foot the bill for this outrageously expensive kid.  

To those who object: I think that you are missing a critical piece.  You need to be more human.  Life is not fair.  I do animal rescue and we can only save those who are in front of us - we spend, on occasion, thousands on a burned cat, and we know full well that this means we will not spend that money on more trapping and spay/neuter procedures to prevent more unwanted kittens.  People need to understand that it is entirely human to behave in this way and not only is it human, it is one manifestation of the "life is not fair" truism.

If you are so outraged about them having so many kids, or spending insurance money on baby who could be aborted (and I am pro-choice, by the way), then put your own money where your mouth is and don't have kids at all so as to make up for the overpopulation of the world by those who do.  In other words, be consistent.  And object to the money spent on expensive heart transplants in older people (the cost is enormous) and cancer treatment for those over, say, 50, and have all that money put into preventative medicine for poor pregnant women and poor children.  If you don't object to the money spent on care of the elderly -medicaid for those with dementia and living in nursing homes for years, accident care for those who are in gang warfare, then you really don't mean what you say.  You are just wanting something to complain about. 

Baloney.  There is no justification for having eight children.

I think this family seriously lucked out with the medical team and the modern robotic engineering to help view this child "in situ" as it were. Where is this kid's pituitary hormone system located? He's a walking experiment. But his continued normal development is great. Not aborting him seems justified (but maybe sometimes you get the right answer for the wrong reason). We have to give credit where it is due, and people of religious faith aren't always wrong while the so-called rationalists are always right. Here two sides of our culture came together, and they put this kid back together. It's almost miraculous. 

Should only the perfect have the right to life?

The doctors did a great job; the boy looks great.  I hope medical science was advanced and that this little boy & his family lives a happy life.  I also hope the family can be understanding of others who would not choose the same path.

This is such a beautiful story.  You cannot put a price on life.  Every single person is infinitely precious and worth all of our efforts even those of you writing these scathing remarks. The life of a military pilot is worth every so much more than his million dollar plane. The person who has their third bout of cancer still deserves treatment.  Those born with life long ailments are worthy of help and life just because they are human.  They have intrinsic value.  It doesn’t depend on what they can do or how they will perform.  You don’t solve problems by getting rid of other “problems”.  Killing babies with difficult situations will not get others “decent, basic care”. You work at fixing both.   The comment about whether it is ethical to let someone live if they are unable to live independently or be productive should send shivers up the spine of every elderly or disabled person in this country. Will this lead to the elimination of all those on welfare who can not take care of themselves without help?  What a utilitarian view of life.  Some of these comments are what is so sad not the birth and care of this baby.  Here we have people saying that not only should there be a limit on the number of babies a couple can have and an age by which you have to have them ( go talk to the women being forced to have abortions in China)  but there is also a level of perfection standard that needs to be met as well.  This is such a ghoulish attitude toward life.  Sorry, my precious baby, there is something wrong with you so I will kill you instead of dealing with and loving you through any difficulties you may have.  This is nothing short of Hitlerian.  Lest you forget he cleared out all of the mental institutions and those with other abnormalities  before he went after the Jews and others who didn’t live up to his standards.  What you are saying is no different.  We should exterminate those who don’t fit the mold of the perfect race, the one that you or the government decides is best.   Also remember that Margaret Sanger, the hailed founder of Planned Parenthood, was as pro-eugenics as Hitler was.  She wanted the black women in this country to stop ‘breeding” and wanted more white women to start having children. So much for your views of choice.  That mask has been taken off.  It is only your choice you want to prevail and that is one that is tragic and death-dealing. 

I can not believe the world we live in!!   Millions of dollars are spent advertising on horrific reality shows that are ruining the values of American families but help an innocent child lead a happy, healthy life and we are wasting money?  Really??  This child was born to parents with a strong Faith and medical insurance.  Shall we do away with everyone that is less than perfect?  If so get in line.  God bless this beautiful baby, his family, Dr. Meara and the team at Children's that helped  him and so many other children including my beautiful grandson.