Jennifer Lopez Opens Up About Emme's Health Scare

Roger Wong/INF

Shortly after welcoming fraternal twins Maximilian David and Emme Maribel, now 14 months, singers Jennifer Lopez and her husband Marc Anthony were in seventh heaven, enjoying life as a family. However, their happiness almost came to a screeching halt as the two were faced with a parent’s worst nightmare: the couple found a lump on then 3-week old Emme’s head.

Opening up about the scare at a Noche de Niños gala benefit for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), the memory is one that is hard to erase from Jennifer’s mind. “We both got very nervous, very very nervous, and I just remember my heart sinking to my feet,” she recalls.

“I looked at [Marc] and I said, ‘You know if anything happens, I’m not going to be OK, you know that, right?’”

Immediately the couple rushed their daughter to the hospital where doctors reacted quickly, running a long list of tests — among them an MRI. Fortunately, Jennifer and Marc consider themselves among the lucky ones as baby Emme “turned out fine.” The incident, however, finished with a happy ending in more ways than one. “I started to wonder, what if I couldn’t afford a doctor or receive the medicines, the procedures?” says Jennifer.

As a result, Jennifer has teamed up with CHLA to jointly form the Maribel Foundation, an organization that will assist in providing pediatric medical services to struggling families.

Source: E!

– Anya

Comments

I can’t believe she would say she wasn’t sure if she could afford the Doctors or Medicines. Are you for real? She has millions and millions of Dr.s. My husband is self employed and we were sweating the birth of our twins because we weren’t sure we could afford their birth. I hate when celebrities act like the norm, they are not the norm. Far from it.

- Stephanie on May 13th, 2009

“I started to wonder, what if I couldn’t afford a doctor or receive the medicines, the procedures?” says Jennifer.

Really? This is a statement coming from a women who makes millions upon millions???

I really do feel for her with her scare with poor baby Emme, and am happy that everything turned out okay, but that comment just seems like a slap in the face for those of us who won’t even come close to seeing the money she makes in 6 months, over our entire lifetime…

- Lis on May 13th, 2009

I don’t think she meant she was wondering if she could pay for it; she knows she can. What it seems like she was saying was she thought about all the parents who can’t pay for things like that and wondered what she would have to do.

I’m sure she didn’t ACTUALLY think about that when her baby was in the hospital, but when she got the bill, she probably did!

- Kayla on May 13th, 2009

I try to understand her remark as a “what if I wasn’t as lucky as I am…” so that she feels sorry for all those parents who worry for their sick children AND have to worry about the doctor’s fees!
Every other meaning would just be ridiculous.

- Elli on May 13th, 2009

Oh my god people. She was saying “what IF I couldn’t afford it” as some people can not. She did not mean she is no way thought she couldn’t, she was just thinking how lucky she is because some can afford it. She was trying to put herself in others shoes. How could anyone even confuse this statement!! Now she started a foundation to help those who can’t. It opened her eyes to how fortunate she is, and how others aren’t. There is nothing negative to say about this. She is doing a great thing!!!!!

- carrie on May 13th, 2009

Good Lord People! Jennifer clearly meant that hypothetically she thought about what if she were in a position in which she couldn’t afford healthcare like so many mothers in America, hence joining CHLA. She is actually trying to raise awareness and do some good here.

- lizzielui on May 13th, 2009

I think what Jennifer was saying is she was wondering what would have happened had she not been in a position to afford the test and medical treatment. She’s not saying she ever thought she wouldn’t be able to afford it. Come on people.

- Marcie on May 13th, 2009

Seriously, did people fail reading comprehension? It’s clear that she meant that she wondered what if she was a parent who couldn’t afford the bills and procedures. Why else would she then form a foundation? Sometimes I think that readers of this site are just looking for something to hate these celebs for.

- Haylo on May 13th, 2009

Stephanie and Lis i think you girls didnt understand the real sense of Jennifer’s statement. Read it again please.

- Mariel on May 13th, 2009

Very cool of Jennifer to team up with CHLA to help out families! Sounds like it was very scary what happened with her daughter, but it’s great that it all worked out!

- Jane on May 13th, 2009

I’m also confused that it could have been understood any other way than that she was imagining being in someone’s shoes who could not afford medical help and I’m not even native English!!
Come on people – read first and then start complaining not the other way around!

- lennie on May 13th, 2009

English is not even my mother tongue, and still I understood that what Jennifer meant is that she feels really lucky to have all that she has and that she felt bad for the people who can’t afford to pay medical expenses.
Gosh, Stephanie and Lis, this is a good deed she was talking about, I can’t believe you misunderstood it. Or maybe you just don’t like her and didn’t WANT to understand it.
I’m not a big fan either, but still…

- Miha on May 13th, 2009

ditto on all of you who can read. that said -thank goodness she is ok, very terrifying, and thank even more goodness (yes i made that up) she is doing something to help others not as fortunate. on a side…love then name emme maribel.

- brannon on May 13th, 2009

Thanks Mariel. I appriciate you telling me nicely. Yes, I did TOTALLY misunderstand her statement, and now it does make much more sense. I take back what I said in my first post.

And I apologize to all those I offended. Goodness. I guess I am an idiot for misunderstanding…

- Lis on May 13th, 2009

My two year old daughter has CHD (congenital heart disease) and had open heart surgery and more to come. She also has other procedures and visits with specialized doctors. It is very difficult to worry about the bills along with the natural worry you have for your child.
We are one of many families in this country that falls in the middle bracket. We make too much to qualify for govt medical assistance and yet we get medical bills that cost more than the value of our house.
That’s wonderful she supports the organization to help families. I’m glad her daughter checked out fine.

- Lisa on May 13th, 2009

Lis, I’m sorry all those people jumped on you and Stephanie. It’s obvious that you just misunderstood what was written. Guys, back off and give somebody room for making a mistake. Let the perfect person here cast the first stone, okay?

- Tee on May 13th, 2009

I don’t see how anyone can misinterpret her statement considering all the points being made. Some people look to start trouble with their comments. Good for Jennifer. I think all children should have medical coverage for any and all illnesses.

- aroundthewaygirl on May 13th, 2009

I really have no idea how anyone would misinterpret Jennifer’s comments here. Think, people, about what you are reading as Haylo said. Do you really think Jennifer Lopez would believe she couldn’t afford the best possible medical care for her children? Sheesh.

- Alice on May 13th, 2009

Lisa -

I feel for you. My mom became disabled a few years ago and after going through the SSI application process and the Medicaid process for nearly a year, I broke down with one of the staff there and just asked, “Would it be better if I were to put my mother out on the street and claim I wasn’t taking care of her instead?” And the answer, sadly, is yes: The whole social safety system in the U.S. is based on forcing people to make the amoral choice – for people like us who fall in between, and who have done everything right – to choose to quit our jobs, reduce our assets to a subsistence level and then rely on substandard care when we do.

I hope more celebrities have this epiphany (I’m sure many have as we’ve read here) and make funds available as well as publicize their “what ifs.”

- Jen DC on May 13th, 2009

Lisa-

My son also has CHD and had open heart surgery at five months old. He is 6 now and last year I was talking to his cardiologist about how hard insurance is with him, we had recently changed insurance companies and they were trying to deny cardiology bills. Anyway he told me about a program and then had a caseworker come right up and talk to us. We are in Ohio, not sure if it’s in your state, but it’s Bureau for Children With Medical Handicaps. They cover all things cardiology related that your insurance will not pay, no questions asked. They also pay for all dental care. I say they pay for all things cardiology but they pay for whatever each child has whether it be asthma, cancer, CHD etc. I just say cardiology cuz that’s what it is in our case. We did not have to submit anything about income I think given the nature of his condition. It is a tremendous relief and helps a lot. Like I said he was 5 months old at surgery time and we didn’t find out about this program until he was 5!! I wish I had known sooner, may be worth you looking into to see if your state has the bureau as well. Best of luck to you and God bless you and your little one, it’s a tough thing to go through

- Heather on May 13th, 2009

I find it funny how Lis feels she is allowed to make a mistake. If I’m not mistaken, Lis is always calling celebrities out on their mistaks. Tell me, how does it feel to be on the other side? Ha, LOL!

- lala2 on May 13th, 2009

Gosh I’m so sad to read about the poor quality of medical services in a country like the US. Always going on and waving your flags about being the best country in the world yet you do not allow equal access to health care for children. What kind of country calls itself great yet allows babies to go untreated because their parents are poor? It’s like a 3rd world country. Horrific.

- Carolyn on May 13th, 2009

I agree with Tee! Lis and Stephanie, I am sorry as well. I mis-understood the statement for a split-second as well, so I can see how it happened to you guys.

- CelebBabyLover on May 14th, 2009

I also think it’s very touching that the foundation is named “The Maribel Foundation” as Maribel is not only Emme’s middle name, but also the name of Marc’s sister, who died of a brain tumor.

What a sweet way to honor both Emme and the aunt that she never got a chance to know!

- CelebBabyLover on May 14th, 2009

i guess i’m the only one wondering what was up with the bump on Emme’s head? they never really said. do bumps just show up for no reason? i mean there was a bump. so what, did she fall on her head or did her brother bop her with a toy? just because they didn’t find anything doesn’t mean that’s the end of it. i would get a second opinion if it didn’t go away. doctors are humans, they make mistakes and can misdiagnose on occassions.

- Mary on May 14th, 2009

Ladies, why is English so hard to comprehend, Jennifer was merely making a statement. The focus should be on the children who can’t afford medical services not on a statement.

- Andrea on May 14th, 2009

Good for them for starting this foundation. Not being able to afford the health care your child needs would be very scary.

- kris on May 14th, 2009

I can’t believe some people jumped on Jen for saying nothing offensive at all. Then again, you never know who’s dyslexic here and who isn’t.

This is how I interpreted her thought-process: “what if I were poor and couldn’t afford to pay for doctors, medicines and procedures?”

- Niko on May 14th, 2009

Mary- Jennifer doesn’t have to share the details about Emme’s bump with us. Anyway, Emme obviously doesn’t have the bump anymore, as it’s not visable in pictures of her (and she isn’t usually wearing hats).

- CelebBabyLover on May 15th, 2009

Read carefully. Lopez said that the incident made her think about what they would do IF they could not afford the health care their child was receiving. She wanted to do something to help all the people that were not as fortunate as she. Read her comments again. Then you can be Rosanna Rosannadanna, say it with me, never mind…

- Terrie For on June 17th, 2010