American couple horrified by enormous medical bill after just 36 hours in NICU

In today's world, medical expenses have escalated beyond imagination, transforming basic healthcare into a luxury that only the privileged can afford. American influencer Karissa Widder (@karissa) recently highlighted this through an Instagram video, exposing the harsh realities of healthcare expenses. The video, shared on October 14, features Widder and her husband Connor talking about the insane medical bill for spending 36 hours in the NICU. The American couple recently lost their daughter, Kennedy Claire, just two days after she was born.

The 40-second video begins with Connor reading through the medical bills for a two-day hospital stay. Widder tries to guess the total cost and begins by saying, "$10,000? but quickly ups her guess to "$50,000." However, she's taken aback when her husband, Connor reveals that the bill actually came to $65,000 for just those two days at the hospital. A shocked Widder puts her hands to her mouth in total disbelief, and says, "We are broke."

Sharing the video, Widder wrote, "Not pictured: the heart attack I had directly after." The mom reflected on another side of child loss that hardly gets any attention and wrote, "This is a side of child loss you rarely see." Widder further spoke about the overwhelming reality of medical costs, especially the NICU bills. She wrote, "NICU bills are no joke. Of course, babies’ lives are priceless, so it makes sense, but we had no idea how much this stay in the NICU would cost. Can’t imagine what it’s like for other families who are there for much longer."

Moreover, she went on to explain that she and her husband are both "self-employed" and don't have traditional insurance to pay the medical bills. "She’s worth it all though, would gladly sacrifice a lifetime of worldly comforts for a few days with my baby," Widder's concluding words also shed light on the unimaginable pain and grief of child loss. 

As soon as Widder shared the video online, it went viral and racked up over 13 million views. People with similar struggles flooded the comment section and shared their own stories of heartbreak and financial burden. Many even expressed the devastating situation, especially after losing someone so precious as your child. @christopherjohnmartin commented, "Therapeutic services"; the nurse says 'You're gonna be okay' as the nurse rushes through 3 people's jobs. (The 'doctor' left the room after 2 minutes and 45 seconds)." @ivyfritz highlighted the importance of having medical insurance as she commented, "My son was there for 7 days, it was like 160k, insurance covered it all thank goodness." The post was later taken down.

"In Australia, it would be free. Why do Americans put up with this?" @pamthorne commented, expressing disbelief over the insanely expensive healthcare systems. On the other hand, @husnasanusi was clearly outraged by the medical bill as she wrote, "What? That's outrageous! I don't get it." @amyhensley had a brilliant suggestion for the American couple and she commented, "The hospital has funds set aside to help pay these types of bills. Call the billing office and tell them you and your husband cannot pay this bill. Ask them if they can point you in the right direction to help pay it. If you don't get any help from the billing office, call and speak with the social worker that is assigned to the NICU." 

You can follow Karissa Widder (@karissa) on Instagram for more lifestyle content.