My daughter was 18 months old and had been suffering from congestion for about a week. I didn't think much of it until she woke up one night and I noticed that she was having labored breathing. She laid still in her crib, her chest collapsing. She wasn't crying so it was clearly evident that something was wrong. We immediately took her to the hospital where she was admitted immediately. We spent 3 days in the hospital, the first night being the most intense. She was connected to an IV, had a catheter, and had to wear an oxygen mask. Every few hours the nurses came in to administer her dose of steroids. They bathed her and did their best to keep her from crying. It was difficult to watch because she was just a baby and was being pricked by needles and forced to endure other scary moments that would be difficult even for adults to handle. After a few days, she was cleared to go home. When they handed us the paperwork we weren't quite sure what to do. The nurses looked at us like we were crazy because we just stood there waiting to be handed some kind of bill. Prior to this, I don't think I really had a strong opinion because I had never had an experience to know otherwise. However, from that day on, I feel very adamant about socialized healthcare. The pediatricians, pediatric nurses, and ER staff provided excellent care. Had this happened in the United States, we would have had to have paid a few thousand dollars, not taking into account the medicine that was required afterward either. Her nebulizer and salbutomal inhaler, together, cost less than €20. This is just one example, but I have many others. Both my children were born in Spain so we have numerous experiences dealing with the healthcare system. No parent, or anyone for that matter, should have to worry about the cost of medical treatment when it comes to the health of a loved one.