I have tried to stay away from the healthcare reform shenanigans for the last few weeks. I would call my reps in Congress every couple days and check in with Rachel Maddow, but other than that my heart could not take the pressure.
You see two weeks ago my husband lost his job. And our health insurance. I work for a small business owner who can not afford to offer us health insurance. And...wait for it...I work for a health care provider.
But, as scary as it was for me to consider my husband and four of my children to go without health insurance, it is my third daughter who keeps me up at night. My sweet happy girl who lost her twin at birth and was born weighing a mere 2.5 lbs. And spent two months in the hospital at a cost of $100,000, subsidized by our then insurance.
You see, she was born not just small but also with just one functioning kidney. It has blessedly compensated for now. We have no guarantees that this will remain the case once she moves into puberty. There will be tests to get through at that time. And having lost and not being able to afford even COBRA, WITH the current COBRA assistance on a family of seven, we will have a break in coverage. She is the only family member with a preexisting condition.
So we would never get coverage for her if the bill did not pass. You can see why I had to stay away from the ups and downs of the last few weeks. My family NEEDED it to pass. Desparately. So I turned on the TV at ten last night and I watched the vote. It passed and I cried. My daughter can not be denied - EVER!
So the Repugnant party says they are going to run on repeal. I will go to town hall meetings and events of any Republican within driving distance and I will ask them why they think my four year old should be denied health care or the right to a future needed procedure should her kidney stop working. And I will send the ten immediate benefits posted on Huffington Post by Rep. John Larson:
The Top Ten Immediate Benefits of the Health Care Bill
To every Republican I know and I will engage them on which of those friends and family will deny my baby girl what the Congress just guaranteed her last night.