I had the good fortune of
spending the last weekend of September in Florida for my cousin Bernadette's
wedding. The whole family was assembled for the occasion. There was a lot to
celebrate.
My cousin has lupus, and that disease has made life very difficult for her. But Bernadette is a fighter with a very supportive fiancée (now husband). So it was that, after countless times in the hospital, myriad medications, and finally a kidney transplant, Bernadette arrived at her wedding day.
My cousin has lupus, and that disease has made life very difficult for her. But Bernadette is a fighter with a very supportive fiancée (now husband). So it was that, after countless times in the hospital, myriad medications, and finally a kidney transplant, Bernadette arrived at her wedding day.
That
day would not have been possible if she hadn't had access to the best our
healthcare system can provide. We can and will debate about how the
costs of care are shared and distributed, and how we manage finite resources in
the face of large demands. But that debate should take place in the context of
the lives that are at stake. It's too easy to lose sight of the fact that
our political decisions and our policy making are not abstract discussions.
They affect real human beings. For my family, accessible care was
the difference between celebrating a wedding and attending a
funeral.
That, I think, is what should ground all our discussions about healthcare.
That, I think, is what should ground all our discussions about healthcare.
No comments:
Post a Comment