Just to warn you though you're probably not going to like my remarks because they'll sound crass and inconsiderate. Oh well, hopefully you can brush that aside and learn something from it, so that you don't make the same mistake.
So where did they make the mistake? Here's the article
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/expensive-to-be-poor-payday-lending-underbanked-153951523.html
This couple made the mistake of not having long-term disability insurance for both of them. Now that the father is sick he won't be able to get it and he will be a financial strain on the family for decades to come. What if they couldn't afford it? Then they should have had two kids. Aghast! That's right I said it. Only after you get your financial ducks in a row should you have kids. You're probably going to hear me say this a lot.
Nature works the same way. When the environment is not able to sustain a certain specie, then sadly its numbers are shed to a sustainable amount.