Another health care horror story

Cindy Sheehan and her sister, Dede Miller, have worked tirelessly for peace since the death of Cindy's son. Now they need our help.

Cindy Sheehan and her sister, Dede Miller, have worked tirelessly for peace since the death of Cindy’s son. Now they need our help.

Cindy Sheehan and I became friends because we shared something no person should have happen: we both lost a son to injustice.

In Cindy’s case, it was war that robbed her of her son, Casey. She devoted her life to educating people about the horrors of war and the need for peace.

My son died from lack of access to health care. I think of it as negligent homicide. I too left the corporate world and have devoted my life to pursuing health care justice through education and activism.

Cindy and I have both been arrested, we have both been called a wide variety of unflattering names and have both lost people in our lives who disagree with what we’re doing. We live with little income.

I’m not complaining. I chose this life and I have no regrets. I am beyond grateful for my husband’s support.

You might remember Cindy, who challenged President Bush on the legality and efficacy of the Iraq war after her son, Casey was killed. Bush ignored her, so she opened “Camp Casey,” a piece of property near the Bush ranch in Texas. She began by staging protests on the roadside and eventually purchased the property.

I have admired her from the beginning, and she and I have become online friends. We have spoken a few times and I have told her how important she is to the national justice conversation.

Now Cindy’s life and mine have intersected in another way. Someone she loves dearly — her sister and best friend, Dede Miller, has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. Since Cindy and Dede have left the corporate world to be peace activists, Dede has no access to the care that might save her life.

Cindy has decided to try crowd-source funding to try and save her sister’s life.

No one should have to do this. It’s bad enough that Dede has to fight cancer; she shouldn’t have to fight a broken system to get the care she needs.

Please, if you have the resources, visit http://www.gofundme.com/DedeM and give. This isn’t about politics, it’s about life and death. Dede doesn’t deserve to die because she can’t get care.

We as a nation need to begin to care about human life above politics. Dede’s life is a good place to start.

 

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