The health care hits keep coming. Why is it that any citizen of this country has to live this way? Via Jeneane Sessum:
If you have some spare change (or more), can you help Brenda out?
Brenda has been our waitress at Waffle House on Frey Road for the last 3 years. She is a wonderful woman who makes due on modest means. In addition to working at Waffle House, Brenda takes care of her mom, who has Leukemia and Diabetes.
When Brenda had a serious car accident a couple of weeks ago, their lives changed dramatically. She has no health insurance and no savings aside for this kind of disaster. She cannot get medical aid because she has no minor children at home. Brenda and her mother can no longer make ends meet.
Contributions from Waffle House patrons and staff paid Brenda’s rent this month. Her fellow waitresses have pooled enough money for December’s electric bill. Other than that, they have nothing, and she doesn’t even know if she’ll be able to go back to work doing what she does because one of her feet crushed in the accident.
A hard-working American working for tips and minimum wage, caring for her seriously ill mother will likely land on the welfare rolls, and is reduced to the kindnesses of strangers. Of course we’ll pitch in, but surely there is a better way forward for this country? Brenda’s situation isn’t unusual. I see cries for help like this all the time, and usually it’s the unsung in our society who are the victims. The women. The caregivers. The ones who believe in their families enough to sacrifice for them instead of just talking about it all the time. For these people, family values is more than just a piece of political jargon to be tossed around like it matters. It DOES matter to them. While Mitch McConnell chuckles and stalls, these people suffer. Yes, I’m angry. Read the rest of Jeneane’s post for information on the modest needs this poor lady has, and if you can, please help.
As if that weren’t enough, there’s more…
Tito Torres, RIP
I received a direct message on Twitter earlier today asking if I would help spread the word about Tito Torres, a Senior at University of Colorado with a bright future ahead of him who apparently suffered from depression silently and alone. On Thursday, he leapt from an overpass to his death on the highway below.
According to the articles I read on that site and corresponding Facebook group, he appeared to be an overcomer, emerging from a difficult childhood into his own through his education. However, it also appears that he was struggling with some sort of depression that ultimately consumed him. What a horrible loss for his family and friends. If you can help them defray his funeral costs, please do. Already one person has offered her help, with gratitude for being able to do so. Tito’s Facebook group is here, and you’ll find lots more information about his life, his teachers, his family and his friends there.
Gone too soon
This morning we heard that the disabled daughter of a friend passed away after they made the horrible decision to remove her from life support. They’ve been living in an RV outside of UCLA Medical Center for months, trying desperately to work out a way to care for her themselves because the hospital bills were mounting for her, and home care was out of the question. Ultimately, she lost her battle with infection, her organs shut down, and she died. They had insurance, and it’s possible that all of this would have happened anyway, but it’s still tragic for their family. Her disability was caused by a medical error in infancy that caused severe brain damage. Her family is grateful they at least had the means to get the hospital care for her that she needed, and are making peace with their loss.
An hour after we heard the news, there was a debate on the Senate floor over tort reform and capping lawyer’s fees. Fortunately that effort failed, but I couldn’t help linking our friends’ loss of their beautiful 21-year old daughter and that debate.
It’s time to pick up the pace, get it done
DANG, people. I know I’ve said it before but I’m going to say it again. This is NOT a debate about deficits, budgets or Grandma! It’s a debate about what value we, as a country, place on every citizen. We are either equal or we’re not. Right now, we are not equal. We’ll be closer to equal with passage of this bill, but true equality would be for people to quit screaming about paper tigers and get down to the business of making this system work for the Titos, Brendas, and caregivers who are exhausted by their loved ones’ illnesses and the burden of paying for them.
Thank you for reading to the end. Please. If you can give, please give. If you can’t, will you spread the word? Because it’s not just the people I’ve written about here. It’s Anissa Mayhew and Liz Strauss, and yes, even me. It isn’t right that we have to ask our friends to help in these situations or be helpless. We should be able to stand on our own two feet and sleep at night without worrying that we’ll lose everything if anyone gets sick, is sick, or loses their insurance (along with their job and self-esteem).
This is the United States of America, dammit! Land of the free and the brave, not niggardly cowards. NOW is the time. In the meantime, we’ll do what we can for those without.
