EVERETT — An Everett father is on his way to Washington, D.C., to continue his fight for health care reform.
Dylan Malone, 30, has been crusading for patient rights ever since his son was born with severe brain damage nearly five years ago.
Malone, with the help of former vice president and presidential candidate Al Gore, fought against the health maintenance organization that refused to pay for professional nursing care 16 hours a day for the child.
Ian, 4 1/2, cannot swallow and is prone to seizures. He needs someone to suction out his mouth and throat every hour.
The insurance company eventually conceded after national media picked up the story.
Tuesday, the father of four will fight a Senate bill to cap malpractice suits against obstetricians and gynecologists.
Malone, a graphic artist at The Herald, has filed a lawsuit against the doctor who delivered his son.
"I have a sick child to take care of. The person who hurt him is the right person to pay for his care," he said.
Malone will be included in a news conference Tuesday, and hopes to plead his case with senators before they vote.
He also will carry with him a message about holding chronic offenders accountable for their actions.
"If you want to lower the cost of medical malpractice insurance, lower the incidence of malpractice," he said.
Malone said he comes from a politically active family. He made an unsuccessful bid for a 38th Legislative District state House seat two years ago. He also maintains Gore’s Web site.
While he enjoys the political process, he never imagined he’d be championing health reform.
"(Ian’s) life has been a walk through all that is wrong with the health care system," he said. "We try to infuse some meaning into the injuries he’s suffered."
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