Red Band Society: Nitpick FAQ

redbandclub:

Q: Why would the hospital allow these kids to wear someone else’s medical bracelets?

A: It’s because the “red bands” don’t contain their medical information. It’s the white ones, consistently worn on their right hands that do.

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Q: Why does Leo Roth have eyebrows when he has done
chemotherapy?

A: Chemo does not evenly affect all the hairs on your body. The ones on your scalp are usually receives the most damage because the growth rate of hair on your scalp allows the drug to circulate more in that area. Though rare, it is possible to retain some of your facial and body hair depending on the treatment and type of cancer you have. It is also worth noting that Leo is on an experimental treatment and have a different effect on his hair loss. 

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Q: How is Jordi legally allowed to make medical decisions as a minor? And how could he afford the surgery? 

A: Certain states adopt a mature minor doctrine where a doctor can treat a minor without parental consent. 

In this article, Margaret Nagle explains that there are hospitals who do not turn away kids coming from the border but in fact required to take care of these patients as long as possible. And since it is a teaching hospital, they can afford to cover the insurance and could could try experimental treatments/drugs. You should also read up on Children’s Health Insurance here. 

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Q: Are there hospitals that would allow you to customize your own room?

A: The University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital has an ”adopt a room“ program that allows a sponsor to finance a custom designed room. It is larger than the average hospital room to accommodate the patient’s family. The whole idea is from making a patient feel at home during their long term stay in the hospital to not only aide in the recovery process but also the child’s emotional well-being. 

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Q: Who would send and pay for that many pizzas? 

A: This scene was a reference to a real life event that happened a year ago. It was put up by a little girl’s mom and was photographed and posted on reddit, who in turn sent pizzas to the hospital. It is possible that the pizzas we saw on the show were the result of strangers who saw Kara’s sign and not just Nurse Jackson’s order.