While typical 6-year-olds were out running around and playing outside, I was sitting in waiting rooms — going from doctor to doctor, wondering what was wrong with me.

Most of my life revolved around doctors’ appointments and constant worry.

I’m grateful that through this uncertainty, my family had health insurance that covered most of the cost. Medical bills weren’t another thing I had to worry about.

Of course, my parents worried about it, but they knew we had a safety net to rely on.

But not all families are so fortunate. 

About 1 in 77 children in the United States have a current heart condition, and 1 in 4 requires surgery, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It was just another appointment when my doctor took an X-ray of my heart and noticed that something was wrong. My heart was enlarged. I then found out that I had mitral valve stenosis and aortic coarctation.

This meant that my blood flow was restricted and that I would need to travel to Boston to receive serious open-heart surgery, because local hospitals couldn’t meet the severity of the situation.

So many children struggle with health issues; yet most families can’t do anything to help.

Health care needs to be more affordable, especially for children with life-threatening conditions. 

The government offers Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but that’s not always enough.

Families end up suffering from medical debt before they can even get a diagnosis, let alone any minor treatment. It’s a serious problem.

Imagine being a child getting told you need open-heart surgery, then imagine being a parent who can’t pay for it.

Children deserve to get the care they need no matter what, there are no exceptions.