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Universal Health Care
My mother tells me, “Appreciate what you have and do not wallow in your hardships
By Haley Bossert
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Haley Bossert has learned first hand the importance of having good medical coverage. Now she is an advocate for universal health care.
No one I know is as passionate about universal health care as I am. But they have not had to help their father off the floor after a fall.
About 19 years ago, my father was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis or MS, a neurological disease that affects the brain and central nervous system. Once a star athlete, my young father was forced to adjust to a new life confined to a wheelchair. After college, he moved to New York City, where he worked in finance and completed a master’s degree at New York University.
One day during his daily commute, my father's legs buckled as he stood clinging to a subway strap. He saw a neurologist, and was diagnosed with MS. Initially, he thought that through rehabilitation he would still be able to continue working. But his slurred speech, unfocused eyes, and unsteady legs made it impossible to work. My dad adapted to a quiet life at home and accepted his wife as the provider for his family.
Even so, optimism prevails in my household. Often when someone in my community is facing a crisis, they visit my parents who remind them to be thankful for what they have. My mother tells me, “Appreciate what you have and do not wallow in your hardships; how you respond to a crisis is the true revealer of your character." My parents are my role models, because of their exuberance for life, and dedication to one another.
Weakened by the disease, my father struggles every day. Luckily, he has wonderful health care. He collapsed last fall and wound up in the hospital where a doctor put six stents into my father’s heart. Without such excellent medical attention, my father would have died. At the time of his diagnosis, he worked for a Swiss banking firm. His former employer continues to provide complete health care that covers the majority of his medical expenses. Without this coverage, our family would most likely have gone bankrupt.
Our neighbor, who also suffered from MS, committed suicide because he was unable to get health care that would cover his medications. Another man we knew was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis two years ago. After six months, his wife divorced him because it was too emotionally and financially draining. Unable to work, he lost his healthcare and could no longer get his medications. He died five months later.
I fear for my father's future, especially when his medical coverage ends. I also fear for my future because there is a great chance that I could develop MS as an adult. That is why I am willing to fight for universal health care.
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