Giving NC babies a better chance

The Nugent family lost their baby Carlie in 2000, in the Charlotte suburb of Harrisburg. She died from a disease called severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID, which leaves babies highly vulnerable to infections that can kill them. It’s sometimes called “bubble boy disease” because of a child who lived for 12 years in a plastic, germ-free bubble.

A screening test and then a bone marrow transplant to treat the disease can give such babies a tremendous chance at survival.

Last week, Gov. Pat McCrory signed a law to test all newborns for SCID. It is the humane and hopeful thing to do, and as McCrory noted, it can save money for the health care system because the diseases that attack those infants with SCID are expensive to treat. The test is required in 26 states.

Democrats rightly criticized the nominal fee associated with the test, an inappropriate levy, but the good the test will do far outweighs any political dispute.

Parents of newborns are joyful, and nervous, as they welcome their new loved ones to the home. New babies are a glorious blessing. Anything that can be done to ensure their well-being, and to give parents peace of mind, should be encouraged by officialdom at any level.

Carlie’s mother, Stephanie Nugent, present at the signing, said it best: “I’m glad to finally see her purpose in life fulfilled.”

This story was originally published October 25, 2015 at 2:24 PM with the headline "Giving NC babies a better chance."