Fox News and other Right wing opponents of The Affordable Care Act have paraded people in front of the camera, complaining about how Obamacare has ruined their lives, costing them money, and any other thing they can think of to cast negative aspersions on the law. What they won’t tell you, however, are the stories about people who NEED medicaid expansion, and the rest of the things that go along with Obamacare. I want all of you to take a few moments and read the touching story of Charlene Dill, as told by her best friend, Kathleen Voss Woolrich. You see, Charlene can’t tell you her story herself, because Charlene is dead, caught up in the politics of the party of “no”.
Born in Pennsylvania to a warm family, Charlene moved to Florida when she was 18 years old. She worked at fast food joints and Disney, cleaned houses and babysat but through the years found her self as a single mother with 3 kids. She had heart issues that needed to be managed and her teeth needed to be fixed and constantly had infections but Charlene never complained. She made 11000 dollars last year babysitting other peoples children and cleaning other peoples houses. She proudly paid her property taxes in February and took care of her little trailer which she owned and took all three kids to school.
But Charlene had no health insurance. Charlene was unable to get Obamacare because she made too little to get the subsidies to purchase health insurance. She had no dental insurance. Her teeth hurt her at night and had so many cavities but could not find anyway to get the decay in her teeth fixed. She was denied medicaid and when she went to get obamcare she was told she could not get subsidies.
So she went to the emergency room 2012 she had heart issues and was told to get on medicine and be monitored. No health insurance to do so. 2012 Obama won and we all were so sure… NOW Charlene would have health insurance. But the republican party of Florida and Rick Scott turned down medicaid expansion. In December Charlene went to the emergency room with abcesses in her legs. Her teeth hurt her constantly. Charlene never complained. She took her two older kids to school each day and reported for work at her various jobs. Recently she began selling vaccuum cleaners in addition to the babysitting and house cleaning. She took anti biotics. She got her healthcare at Florida hospitals emergency room
On March 21st, she was supposed to come see me on my first day off in a while. She was excited about seeing my daughter who she has raised since she was 3 and the kids were all going to play together. She had only 2 short appointments in Osceola County to show the vaccum to two customers. At about 4 pm that afternoon I got a message from her niece that she had died at the customers house. They rushed her to Poinciana medical center and worked on her. They could not bring my best friend back. She died She was 32.
You see the main argument Republicans use is that its some lazy person who needs medicaid expansion. That those of us living without healthcare or dental care are lazy. But my friend a single beautiful mother worked 3 jobs. She paid taxes . She paid her house taxes. And now shes dead
Please think of Charlene when you decide who are you are going to vote for in August and December. Please vote democrat . Please vote for people who want people like Charlene and I to have healthcare .To have a fighting chance.
I am burying my best friend soon because of Rick Scott and Will Weatherford I am buring my best friend because of the policies of the Republican Party. I am burying my best friend because had medicaid expanded, her needs would have been met. She is one of the 7 people who will die each day because the Florida House of Represenatives Republicans and Tea Party decided that we are not worth living. We are not worth healthcare. We were not worth medicaid expansion. Please vote democrat for Charlene. Please help get the republicans out and expand medicaid. Ill never have her back. Ill never see my friend again.. Ill never have another day with her because of the republican house of representatives. Please for Charlene and for me, register to vote and promise to vote against Rick Scott and any Florida republican who runs. They need to know we know. We know who they hurt and we see what they are doing to the poor of florida.
Charlene Dill 1981 to 2014
I don’t have a whole lot of words to say after that, and really, nothing else needs to be said. My heart breaks for Charlene, her family, her friends, and other people who find themselves in the same situation she did. People don’t have to die just because Republicans want to prove a point to the President. Rick Scott passed up 51 Billion dollars for medicaid expansion. This would not have cost the people of Florida a thing. Now it is costing them their lives.
People are more important than party OR politics.
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Originally posted on Women On The Move
