Hemophilia is a blood condition in which the blood does not clot properly and it's very expensive to treat. And one local family is at their wits end with how to keep their son healthy.
To look at him, Morgan Craner looks really healthy... but it takes a lot of money to keep him that way.
You see... Morgan is a hemophiliac and in order to stay strong he takes medicine that costs over 2 thousand dollars a week... that adds up to 300 thousand dollars a year. Morgan's Mother, Marsha Craner explains, "We gave him a clotting factor so that he would avoid bleeding, instead of waiting until he had a bleed to treat it."
Without that clotting factor, Morgan's joints would bleed spontaneously. "What happens is that it eats away the cartilage and eventually my joints will fuse together."
And if that happens, Morgan will become disabled which is what he is trying to prevent. But here's another problem. Morgan ran through his life time coverage on his parents insurance by the time he was 16. He turns 19 in august and that means he will no longer be covered under Medicare unless he is disabled.
"It kinda sucks because it's like you're waiting on your deathbed, waiting for something to happen to you and there's nothing you can do about it.
Morgan's parents have contacted attorneys and written to legislators to try to get someone pick up their cause.
"We need the state of Idaho to be aware that hemophiliacs in Idaho need a special clause in the law that says that they should be covered because of the medical expenses are so astronomical, they're impossible for any family to afford without any help."
Without that help Marsha is afraid of what her son's future holds.
"It's like it's choosing his life for him instead of him being able to choose his life by his talents and his abilities and his scholarship and options... it's like the disease is choosing what he will do with his life which hurts me because he has so much potential."
Morgan's prescription company will most likely cover his medication for 18 months after he turns 19 and is taken of Medicare.
But what does he do after that?
And will the state Medicare law be changed to help hemophiliacs?
If you have any ideas to help the Craners, please email Mary Sturgill at marys@kidk.com.