Reply #73: maybe you should try reading the article before posting

[northernlights]

The child is not cancer stricken. She has a disease based on a missing chromosome, which most often happens in pregnancies in older woman with decades-old eggs. Embryos missing that particular chromosome are most often spontaneously aborted early in the pregnancy. It appears that either the parents took a gamble and didn't bother to get an amniocentesis, or they got one and took a gamble that the girl wouldn't have too severe of effects. The mother is the one with cancer.

Given their situation, they probably don't have enough income to worry about needing additional tax deductions. Furthermore, no matter what the tax deduction is for a mortgage (or rent to own if it applies) it still does not match the savings of not buying in the first place.

I have absolutely no idea what you mean about "nobody should have a cushy job." I think everybody should have a decent job. But the fact is they lost their "cushy jobs" (and their home and their credit) in a crappy job market. So realistically, instead of trying to bypass their now poor credit with expensive rent-to-own schemes, they need to get real and rent something less expensive. Of which there is plenty in the area where they've moved.

And I think their 4 adult children should each find themselves something, anything.

And as it happens, I *do* fully understand what it is to be losing everything. I had the rug pulled completely out from me 7 years ago. Only when my industry tanked, it wasn't temporary, nor was it publicized, so I lost some time waiting for it to return before realizing it wasn't coming back ever. I've been in a slow slide ever since.

And I guess that's my point. There are a *lot* of people out there in as bad, or worse shape, than this sad family. People who even in hindsight can be said to have made good choices every step of the way. I find it hard to feel compassion for people who made a long series of not great choices...starting with too freakin many kids.