Well, that can vary from what country you live in, whether you have insurance, and what coverage you have. Normally here in the US a capitalist country where you pay to have insurance called a premium some employers provide that payment as a perk of the job and other deduct it from your paycheck. In the US you also have to consider that in some states they are private insurances and in others may also have the option of state insurance in which case is cheaper than private, but may not have as much coverage as private. So, depending where you are and what you have are to be considered if ever faced in a situation as this.
Next depends on your weight and height, so the older you get and the heavier you become and taller is the more expensive it will be.
So I am going to use Angelina as an example she is maybe 40 -50 lbs. and about 4ft. They premedicated her because she is capable of allergic reactions during the process. One dose of each benadryl and Tylenol cost $9.16 which I could buy the whole bottle that lasts a week and still have cash for that amount. Then the supplies such needles, tape, hot packs, hook-ups go for $269.49. The day before blood transfusion we go in and do laboratory work, checking for their Hemoglobin and hemocrat, bilirubin, ferritin which is all important stuff that can run about $637.62. Then they have to order the blood, wash it and test it to make sure it doesn't react so her body doesn't reject it. Depending how much each donor donated will determine if she will need 2 or 3 units each unit runs $474.75 in this case she used 3 units. then the charge for the room, nurse and food ran $410.53. A hospital total of $2,751.05. Now we also need chelation which is the medication used to remove too much iron deposits in the body that has accumulated from the blood transfusions. Angelina again due to her height and weight will determine her dose. Right now she will be beginning at 4 125mg pills a day, each pill costs an average of $12.79 each so she will cost $51.16 A DAY. An average of 30 days a month $1,534.80 plus the $2,751.05 equals $4,285.85 A MONTH to keep one child alive, and then to consider Dimitri is older, taller, and heavier and runs around $6,000 a month.
In my situation I am fortunate my company pays the premium, but my deductible and total out of pocket is $10,000 a year. I consider my self a lower middle-class and the sole provider in the house hold and it is not worth the negative energy to go after their biological father for child support or help who lives in another country, if I get some thing every blue moon that doesn't cover 1/16 of one child, I guess... yeah? This is a bad economy right now and every one is struggling to stay a float. There are days I feel like I am not going to have food to feed my family, or be able to keep my kids on treatment because who can pay that, right? You have to find ways; have people donate their junk and hold a yard sale. It is hard work to have a successful yard sale, but if you really work it, that could be 2 monthly payments on top of what you already were planning on paying. If you have a talent use that talent and sale, sale, sale put all funds towards the bills. I like to paint so all profits made will go towards my medical, start a weekend job like mowing lawns, shoveling snow, cleaning houses again towards medical. What ever it takes to get your self even if baby steps forward more than you just going to work. The feeling of knowing you just paid more than you had helps calm those stresses.
You are probably thinking when is there the time? True, it is hard working 40 hours a week, go home be with your family, feed them, take them places. You don't have to do something every day or you will be worthless to your kids in the end anyway. Plan a couple of hours on your days off, maybe an hour every other day, if you are doing a yard sale maybe you can ask friends to volunteer and take shifts. The great thing about Thal kids there are not disabled physically and I have found even my kids enjoy at times when I involve them in helping eliminating some of the bills. They are aware that a lot of the times we can not do things because financially we are tight, so helping lowering the bills makes them feel productive.
I know the stress alone watching your child go through this is enough, then you have to deal with the outrageous financing, and trying to figure it all out, and try to keep a normal life. As impossible as that is, make sure you always have your emotional support, friends & family, learning to eliminate the unnecessary; that has helped me a lot, knowing no body is perfect and no situation is perfect so if you screw up IT IS OK! You are not super-mom/dad you are HUMAN, with a lot on your plate and you are doing the best you can. I hope this helps.
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