The Walk For Healthcare

Congressional Record Citation

2011-03-08T05:07:00.000-08:00

Stories from Maryland & DC - Congressional Record Entry

2011-03-07T05:12:00.000-08:00

Stories from West Virginia & Pennsylvania - Congressional Record Entry

2011-03-07T05:10:00.000-08:00

Stories from Ohio - Congressional Record Entry

2011-03-06T05:11:00.000-08:00

Stories from Illinois & Indiana - Congressional Record Entry

2011-03-02T05:13:00.000-08:00

Congressional Record Entry - Congressman Dennis Kucinich

2011-03-01T05:20:00.000-08:00

The System is Sick - by Mikuak Rai

2009-09-19T09:34:00.001-07:00

The System is Sick - words & music by Mikuak Rai. For the direct YouTube link, click here.
© 2009

Real Stories, Real People: compact edition of the stories from the Walk

2009-08-29T23:23:00.001-07:00

Full set of Stories from the Walk - Compact Edition
Download, print, bring to your lawmakers and share with others! "Of the people, by the people, for the people ..."

Special Thanks to ...

2009-08-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

The assistance of the organizational team for the Walk has been incredible: John Moore (Media Coordinator), Kerem Arig (Logistics Coordinator), Heather Meyer (Events and Organizational Coordinator), and Timothy Knauth (Fundraising Coordinator). Without their help, this Walk would not have been possible. Along the way, many have provided generous help and support, including …

8/27 Many thanks to Sandy and Lisa of Chen’s in Chicago for hosting a great “Share Your Story” event!
8/20 Many thanks to Aom Fletcher of Bar Celona in Chicago (and Olivia Patojia) for hosting a great “Share Your Story” event!
Thanks to Patrick Marshall & Bonnie Bailey of Shell for the $50 gas card. I'm driving back to DC tonight for Thursday's big Healthcare-Now Rally. This will be very helpful.
7/26 Many thanks to Mikuak Rai for the warm welcome and organizational support during the last leg of the Walk as I attended the People's Rally he organized in Washington, DC.
7/24 – 7/26 Many thanks to Timothy Knauth for his assistance as a ‘support vehicle’ during the last two days of the walk (transporting the bag, shuttling me to walking points, and general support). And thanks also to him for the many wonderful photos and videos during that time. Above all, I thank him for his warm and generous friendship.
7/24-7/26 Many thanks to Daniel Kammerer (Executive Director), Togi Mahdere (Front Office Director) and the Doubletree in Bethesda, MD for two nights complimentary stay! Here’s an amazing fact: the banner at the entrance to the Doubletree reads “The Time is Always Right to Do the Right Thing.” It’s a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. Thank you again to the Doubletree and all the wonderful hotels and people along the way who have made this journey possible!
7/23-7/24 Many thanks to Mary Jo of the Days Inn in Frederick, MD for the complimentary one night’s stay.
7/23 Many thanks to Amanda of A-1 Sedan & Transportation of Hagerstown (and her friend Tiffany) for helping me bring my bag to Frederick. The ‘other’ Hagerstown cab company wanted to charge $100!
7/22-23 Thanks to Matt of the SpringHill Suites Marriott in Hagerstown, MD for one nights at a reduced rate.
7/20-7/22 Many thanks to Jim & Josephine Wehling of Bedford for hosting me in their home (two nights)!
7/16-7/20 Many thanks to Ryan for shuttling me to and from my walking points and for helping with the bag transport!
7/17-19 Thanks to Dawn of the Courtyard Marriott in Greensburg, PA for three nights at a reduced rate.
7/16-17 Many thanks to Patty of the Holiday Inn Express in Irwin, PA for the complimentary room!
7/16 Thanks to Ryan Trump for helping to transport 'the bag' to the motel in Irwin where pizza was waiting for me, thanks to the Allens of Mansfield, OH!
7/15-16 Holiday Inn Express Pittsburgh South Side for the complimentary room. Many thanks to Kevin, Robin, and the rest of the wonderful staff!
Many thanks to the Allens of Mansfield (Rico & Danelle) for their incredible support in many ways!
7/12 Thanks to Gary, manager of Lisbon Dairy Queen, for water, t-shirt, hot dogs!
7/13-14 Days Inn, Lisbon, OH. No hotels in WVa beyond Chester. Many thanks Angela for one more night complimentary lodging at the Days Inn. Thanks to Joyce who will be shuttling me back and forth between my walking points.
7/11-13 Days Inn, Lisbon, OH. Two nights complimentary lodging. Thank you so much, Angela!
7/11 Many thanks to the Canton Inn for one night's complimentary lodging.
7/9-11 Motel 6, Mansfield, OH. Two nights complimentary lodging. Thanks so much, Montelle!
7/8-7/9 Many thanks to Ms. Felder & Donna Leuthold for making available the Lighthouse shelter accommodation in Bucyrus, OH.
Many thanks to Geoffrey Knauth for loaning his extra iPhone, arranging for a data/voice plan and FedExing these to the hotel. Having this technology in place (an improved camera phone, GPS capability, etc.) has been a huge benefit to the Walk.
7/5-7 Holiday Inn, Lima, OH. Three nights complimentary lodging & meals. Many thanks, Kara & Brad!
7/3-4 Fountain Inn, Van Wert, OH. Two nights complimentary lodging. Many thanks to Dee and your lovely family!
7/3 Many thanks to Nate Williams for helping to organize a rally in Ft. Wayne welcoming me upon my arrival. It was a wonderful event. Thanks also to Ariana Toth for helping with logistics during my visit.
7/3 Many thanks to Andrea Rogers (and Katie Madonna Lee, videographer) of Grass Roots Media, Inc. for providing two days of video filming (7/1 & 7/3) during the Walk. Thanks also to Alex Gutterman for helping to arrange this.
7/2 Days Inn, Ft. Wayne, IN one night complimentary lodging. Many thanks, Jayesh and your wonderful staff!
7/1 Days Inn, Warsaw, IN one night complimentary lodging. Many thanks, Uprendra! and Shiela
6/29 & 6/30 Days Inn, Plymouth, IN two nights complimentary lodging. Many thanks, Jay!
6/28 Many thanks to Jackie and the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Valparaiso, IN for complimentary room.
6/27 Fairfield Inn & Suites in Hammond, IN for one night at reduced rate

If I have neglected to include anyone, the omission has been purely inadvertent. So many people have helped along the way that it is impossible to acknowledge all.

Real People with Real Stories

2009-08-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

Real People with Real Stories from the Walk For Healthcare

On the Dick Kay Show - 7/18/09

2009-08-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

Chicago Progressive Talk. Radio interview set to video with accompanying visuals and annotations.

Facebook	YouTube
Part 1	Part 1
Part 2	Part 2
Part 3	Part 3
Part 4	Part 4

Dr. Gurel will be on the show again on Saturday, August 29^th at 2pm (Central). Listen Live online here or in the Chicago area on FM at 92.5 (West), 92. (North), 99.9 (South) and 820-AM for the City.

Photomaps from the Walk for Healthcare

2009-08-27T23:55:00.000-07:00

Flickr Photomaps

Google Photomaps

Documents from the Walk for Healthcare

2009-08-27T23:53:00.000-07:00

Read the dispatches as well as FAQs and other information about the Walk and follow-on events. These documents are downloadable and have clickable hyperlinks.

Full compilation of stories
Stories by State
Individual Stories
Media Coverage of the Walk
Scribd group for the Walk. Includes all documents.

And more ...

Pictorial navigator On a single-page Scribd document, navigate through the stories by clicking on the pictures.
FAQs Answers to Frequently-Asked Questions.
First seven dispatches from the Walk (includes stories & pictures)
Short version of the stories Only four pages, download the document, print out copies, and bring them to your town hall meetings and share with people and lawmakers!
Donating to the Walk Helps keep the movement growing!
Initial Press Release for the 6/27 Chicago Launch

Real Stores, Real People, seeking Real Healthcare Reform

2009-08-26T15:38:00.001-07:00

Real People with Real Stories from the Walk For Healthcare

"Share Your Story" event in Chicago, Thursday 8-27

2009-08-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

Chicago "Share Your Story" event 8-27

The Real Need for Real Healthcare Reform: Real Stories from Real People

2009-08-23T02:37:00.000-07:00

Click on any picture below to bring up a story

(You need to allow pop-ups and a new browser window will open).
(Use the button in the upper right-hand corner to toggle to full-screen mode)

To go directly to the Scribd document, click here.
To go directly to the Flickr Photostream click here.
And for the Flickr map corresponding to this, click here.

Live Twitter Feed

2009-08-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

follow me on Twitter

A Virtual Map of Real People with Real Healthcare Stories

2009-08-18T02:03:00.001-07:00

(You can zoom in and out as well as pan across the map. Click on pics to enlarge)

View Stories from the Walk in a larger map

For a larger Google map, click here.
For the more interactive map on Flickr, clickable to individual pictures and stories, click here.

Experience the Walk Tweet-by-Tweet

2009-08-15T15:59:00.000-07:00

This is the consolidated Twitterfeed from the Walk (Hyperlinked, downloadable & chronological)
(Use the button in the upper right-hand corner to toggle to full-screen mode)

Flickr map of the Walk - the journey, the people & the stories

2009-08-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

See: http://www.flickr.com/photos/41448703@N02/map/

This is a work in progress. A more complete and embedded version will be available soon.

Flickr only shows the last 20 pictures uploaded. Scroll the picture bar at the bottom of the screen to pick up more locations on map. Click on a picture (videos also included) to see more details.

For collections of picture (by Week of the Walk, by Day, by State, People/Scenery, Event, etc.) go to the Flickr Photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/41448703@N02/collections/.

Again: this is still a work in progress - pictures are being uploaded, geographic locations placed (estimated in the case of pictures taken with a non-GPS enabled Treo), descriptions & stories being added.

Note that stories submitted to the Facebook group are also being placed on the Flickr Photostream map. We hope to populate this as the Facebook group already has more than 1,700 members as of August 15th.

"Share Your Story" event at Bar Celona in Chicago, Thursday 8-20

2009-08-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

Chicago "Share Your Story" event 8-20

Write to the White House!

2009-08-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

Feel free to copy & paste (and edit as you like) the following to send to the White House using the link http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.

Dear President Obama,

I believe true healthcare reform is of critical importance to the nation. Healthcare for all is a matter of human rights, human dignity, and economic security.

Earlier this summer, my friend, Dr. Ogan Gurel, walked from Chicago to Washington, DC in support of healthcare reform. Trekking largely along the Lincoln Highway route in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, and then heading down through Maryland to Washington DC, he gathered real stories from real people. These have been published on the blog for the Walk (http://walk4healthcare.org/) and you may also find them on Scribd at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/19228734/Stories-from-the-Walk-Compact-Edition.

I think you will agree that that the “Voice of the People” must prevail in this healthcare reform debate and that it is important for your office to acknowledge the Walk, not only as a remarkable statement of support for healthcare reform (no lobbyists have been seen initiating such a formidable accomplishment), but specifically because these stories paint a picture, as Dr. Gurel calls it, of a “national catastrophe,” that deserves to be heard much more forcefully than the plaintive pleas of lobbyists intent upon preserving their piece of the healthcare money pot. The voice of the people must be at the forefront of this debate.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

XXXXX

or call/fax:

Tel: 202-456-1414
Fax: 202-456-2461

Thank you!

The Voice of the People

2009-08-04T07:55:00.001-07:00

The Walk (Chicago to DC) is done but the Journey has just begun. What is most important in this healthcare reform debate, indeed what holds the key to our democracy, is the voice of the people. The Walk, in addition to making a statement about the urgent need for healthcare provided a unique opportunity to gather real stories from real people along the way. I met with hundreds of people: with insurance, without insurance, Democrats, Republications, liberals, conservatives, indigent, middle-class, wealthy—the full spectrum of Americans along a route that took me through six 'Swing' states.

The stories are interspersed in this blog but for easier access they have also been placed in the 'sidebar' to the right. These include written dispatches as well as videos which can also be found on the Walk's YouTube channel. I continue to upload these stories so visit here often for updates.

I am deeply obliged to those who have shared with me their heartrending stores, otherwise private. They opened up to me out of both a desire that these stories would be heard and out of a frustration that among the raging cacophany of corporate interests they, their voices, were not being heard. Out of this obligation, privilege really, I encourage you to read/view these stories and share them with your friends and, most importantly, with your lawmakers, local and national.

The voice of the people must be heard.

The Walk, the Fight, Continues (Email to the Facebook group for the Walk)

2009-07-29T08:15:00.000-07:00

This is an email sent to the Facebook group for the Walk. Click here to join the group.

Greetings from Chicago! While the Walk was a great success—I arrived in DC in one piece, met hundreds of people and gathered their stories, and have already met with several Congressional staffers—the journey has only begun. The special interests are fighting healthcare reform to the death (literally) and you can see the results (or more precisely non-results) in Congress. I met with Dennis Kucinich personally on Tuesday and he immediately recognized the value of the Walk and its message of the “Voice of the People.” He will be publishing an official notice in the Congressional Record urging all his fellow members of Congress to read the stories being posted up on the blog http://walk4healthcare.org/.

But the fight has just begun. I am driving (not walking) back to DC early Thursday morning where I will be speaking later that afternoon at the large Healthcare-Now! rally (http://www.healthcare-now.org/campaigns/single-payer-rally/) along with dozens of other distinguished speakers.

If you can, please attend the rally! This is too important an issue—an issue that crosses both human rights and economic security—to sit in the comfort of one’s home. Please invite everyone you know to the event (and this Facebook group). Please support the Walk For Healthcare which now continues its trek in a multitude of ways to bring the voice of the people back into our government.

Here are some words that kept me going through the Walk leading up to its conclusion on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, as I listened to Aaron Copeland’s Lincoln Portrait on the iPod.

“That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

That says it all.

Thank you again for all your continued support,

Ogan

ogan@walk4healthcare.org

Huffington Post: "One Doctor Goes To Great Lengths For Universal Health Insurance"

2009-07-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Click here for Sarah Lovinger's article about the Walk in the Huffington Post.

"Some people will do anything to advance the cause of universal health care in the United States. One dedicated doctor with blisters and sore muscles just completed a rather long walk for the cause--700 miles long. … "
Click here for the full article.

NPR podcast: "Doctor Walks Cross Country to Raise Awareness for Health Care"

2009-07-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

The White House hopes the U.S. House will vote on a revamp of the health care system this week. Getting people to talk about health care reform is one of Chicago physician Ogan Gurel’s goals. He’s been walking to Washington, D.C. for the past month, meeting people along the way and hearing about their struggles with health care and the insurance system. For the podcast, click here.

Arrival in DC at the People's Rally - 7/26

2009-07-27T10:34:00.000-07:00

Stories from Washington, DC

2009-07-26T23:30:00.000-07:00

Walk for Healthcare: Stories from Washington, DC

Doris in Washington, DC

2009-07-26T22:30:00.001-07:00

Doris in Washington, DC
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Doris, from New York, is here in DC visiting. “No insurance, can’t afford it,” she told me. “And I never go to a doctor—I’m otherwise lucky,” she said with a smile and went off with her friends.

Keith in Washington, DC

2009-07-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

Keith in Washington, DC
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Keith is one of the founders of the ubiquitous Food Not Bombs organization. His organization has protested around the world and now he’s in front of the White House delivering his message to all those gathered. His story is simple: he’s got fibromyalgia, which he says he acquired after being tortured by the CIA during one of his several incarcerations for illegally delivering free food. With his income and this sort of pre-existing condition, he can never get health insurance.

The Walk through Washington, DC - Photo map

2009-07-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

View Washington, DC in a larger map

Stories from Maryland

2009-07-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

Walk for Healthcare: Stories from Maryland

Shayla in Gaithersburg, Maryland

2009-07-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

Shayla in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Shayla’s been newly enrolled in a PPO. Supposedly better than an HMO, she had high expectations. “But,” she told me, “I don’t understand why it’s so good.” “First, you pay more,” she explained, “and second, you still get a bill AFTER the co-pay.” And then she told me about the prescription plan, which requires you to mail away for the medications and it often takes 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. She shook her head. “That just doesn't make sense!”

Nuts & Bolts of the Walk

2009-07-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

The Walk through Maryland - Photo map

2009-07-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

View Maryland in a larger map

Press release for Sunday's Washington DC rally

2009-07-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

July 24, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Coalition of the Uninsured to Hold Rally, July 26th, Urging Congress to Provide Universal Health Care for All

(Washington, DC) – An emerging national coalition of uninsured and under-insured patients; doctors, nurses, labor groups, health care advocates, community leaders and artists are holding a rally to urge Congress to provide universal health care for all Americans. The People’s Rally: Medicare For All NOW!!! takes place Sunday, July 26th, 2009 from 1pm to 4pm at Malcolm X Park (Meridian Hill Park) in NW, Washington, DC.

Donna Smith, a nurse and patient featured in the movie SICKO, will present alongside Rev. Graylan Hagler, Rev. Lenox Yearwood, Brother Bey, Dr. Carol Paris, Sonia Umanzor, Audri Scott Williams, Devin Walker, Jay Winter Nightwolf, and Gray Panthers of Metropolitan Washington. There will be musical performances provided by a variety of artists including The Makepeace Brothers, David James & Ndelible, Kuku, Luci Murphy & Friends, Yvette Benjamin, Nataska Hummingbird, Joel Segal, and Mikuak Rai. Dr. Ogan Gurel will be the last speaker. He is completing the 700 mille Walk for Healthcare (from Chicago to DC) in order to bring to Congress’ attention to the real hardships and suffering of Americans he has met on the way, due to the lack of health care. After he speaks, Dr. Gurel will then lead the rally to take the last steps of the Walk to the Lincoln Memorial; his next steps for reform will be meeting with members of Congress the following two days to deliver The People’s Voice.

This coalition of uninsured and under-insured citizens has been convened in light of the fact that recent polls show that over 60% of Americans favor a single-payer, government run, health care system; and yet, the voices of the uninsured, and advocates for Medicare For All legislation, have been sidelined in the health care debate. One-third of all Americans are either uninsured or under-insured; and, of the uninsured, over two-thirds are from communities of color.

Recently, Dr. Quentin Young, of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), cited that 62% of all bankruptcies have been caused by peoples’ inability to pay medical care costs. Now is the time for Congress to address these glaring disparities, and make a change that will benefit all Americans.

The People’s Rally: Medicare For All NOW!!! is supported by Labor Campaign for Single-Payer, Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO, Artists for Guaranteed Universal Health Care, Healthcare-Now, and Spirit of Truth Foundation. For more information, call (202) 276-3099 or email medicare4allnow@gmail.com.

###

Rally & Walk - Washington DC - Sunday, July 26th

2009-07-25T07:19:00.001-07:00

Washington DC Rally and Walk - Sunday, July 26th

Brenda in Gaithersburg, Maryland

2009-07-24T22:30:00.001-07:00

Brenda in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Brenda’s story is about her father who died two months ago. She told her story with a mix of disbelief and quiet anger though she was heartened to be able to share with others what she felt was a true health insurance horror story.

Her late father had diabetes since 1995. His illness was complicated by neuropathy and multiple foot infections resulting in an amputation of one great toe. Earlier this year, his insurance company, Group Health, told him that they were dropping him for ‘medical noncompliance’ although Brenda, who’s a nurse, said this was patently a lie and they had medical proof, including doctor’s attestations, that he was in compliance. And then he had a stroke, which was compounded with multiple complications. He came down with sepsis, had to have another amputation, this time below-the-knee. Though the MD said everything was “OK”, the operation was, in fact, a “was a disaster,” Brenda told me. It turned out he was left unattended in the hallway, coded in recovery, had a head bleed, was given CPR, put on a ventilator and admitted to the ICU. He never regained consciousness. He was taken to a Palliative Care unit and though he was put on a morphine drip, he survived for two more tortuous months. All during this time, people from the hospital kept coming by telling his already grieving wife that she would be responsible for the bill. “The total bill is $69,000 and still going up,” she said.

Howard and Tauyna in Frederick, Maryland

2009-07-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

Howard and Tauyna in Frederick, Maryland
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

I met Howard, and his wife Tauyna, over breakfast at the Days Inn. Howard told me that they’ve generally been OK, but even with insurance, “deductibles have been increasing and out-of-pocket expenses also going up.”

But Howard wished to share a story from twenty years ago. “It actually relates to what’s happening today,” he told me. He was between jobs, he explained, having left a position with health insurance for a higher-paying job that did not, however, offer health benefits. Soon after, his wife had a tubal pregnancy and with the hospital bills he ended up having to taking out a loan for $8,000 (“a huge chunk of change in those days,” he added). The doctor forgave his fee and he was able to negotiate a half-price with the anesthesiologist. “I sure don’t know what would happen if it were today.”

Terry in Middletown, Maryland

2009-07-23T22:30:00.004-07:00

Terry in Middletown, Maryland
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

I met Terry at the Oriole Club, a local bar where I stopped in during a ferocious thunderstorm to take a water break. Terry believes in preventative medicine, eating right, exercising—being positive. She doesn’t have insurance and with two kids, she’s busy providing them with a home and feeding them right.

Last year she got very sick but nobody would take her. Because she has no primary care doctor, it costs $250 just to “get in the door.” The others seated along the bar gave knowing looks. She told me she “prayed a lot,” especially when her temperature hit 104. “But I survived,” she said with a smile. “But, if you don’t have insurance,” she told me, “you’re treated different.”

Sonny northwest of Frederick, Maryland

2009-07-23T22:30:00.003-07:00

Sonny northwest of Frederick, Maryland
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Sonny told me the story of a girl in town. Many of the others seated at the bar recognized her plight. “She’s worked for ten years, without insurance,” Sonny told me. And she got sick with a gallbladder problem and, “probably because she couldn’t work on account of her illness,” she was laid-off. She needs a gall bladder removal but the doctor keeps putting her off. “Nobody wants to treat her,” he added. “And she went to see the specialist but he wanted $300 up-front.” Karen, sitting alongside, squirmed in disapproval. “Everyone's giving her the run-around … And there seems to be no way out of her situation.”

Tiffany in Hagerstown, Maryland

2009-07-23T22:30:00.002-07:00

Tiffany in Hagerstown, Maryland
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Tiffany doesn’t have a job, nor does she have health insurance. As a single mom, her daughter gets assistance through the state. For herself, she did have to go to the emergency room one time last year but as she didn’t fill out the form for medical assistance in time (there was a three-month time limit ), she ended up owing $4,000. Now she’s being taken to court by the hospital, Washington County. “I get phone calls every day from the bill collectors,” she tells me. “And I’m scared to go back to the doctor for anything including my ‘frozen shoulder’.

With some trepidation, she told me she knew somebody who was threatened with jail for not responding to court summons for a medical bill. “It's not a good situation to be in,” she told me.

Despite her unhappy troubles, Tiffany insisted on smiling when I took her picture.

Chris in Frederick, Maryland

2009-07-23T22:30:00.001-07:00

Chris in Frederick, Maryland
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Chris works at the Days Inn in Frederick. He’s an insulin-dependent diabetic (that’s his supplies he’s proudly showing me). He has insurance but “it sucks, only covers so much,” he told me. “They don’t cover even the supplies I have here. And if you go to the hospital for low blood sugar, or see a specialist, it costs several hundred dollars.”

He was previously under his parent’s coverage but now his own insurance, which “bad as it is,” he added, has been further downgraded because of the economy. “"But,” he said, “I don't have much choice unless I get another job, and that’s not at all easy these days.”

Frank in Frederick, Maryland

2009-07-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

Frank in Frederick, Maryland
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Frank’s story centers around his fiancé. She’s a breast cancer survivor. The chemotherapy, according to Frank, “‘cured’ the cancer but devastated her body.” She continues to have health problems,” he told me. These include diabetes and psoriatic arthritis for which she is treated with methotrexate and Enbril injections. She had been getting her medications through PAC (Physicians Assistance Care of Maryland) but, as Frank explained to me, “Only the diabetes medicines qualified and those she got through this program were less effective than what she was previously taking.” Now that she is working, she is no longer eligible for the program (which requires an income of less than $1,400 a month). Her new job offers health insurance but, “the premiums are so high that if she gets the policy, there’d be no money for anything else.” Getting health insurance, would “make it impossible for her to live,” Frank told me. “And, even with the policy, the medications would be too expensive.”

“Basically,” Frank summarized for me, “without healthcare, she has pain and suffering, can't get out of bed and so could lose the job.”

“That's terrible,” I said.

“Oh, it could be worse I guess,” he replied, shaking his head.

Stories from Pennsylvania

2009-07-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

Walk for Healthcare: Stories from Pennsylvania

The Walk through Pennsylvania - Photo map

2009-07-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

View Pennsylvania in a larger map

In DC: "Last Steps of The Walk, Next Steps to Real Reform"

2009-07-23T04:41:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, July 26th, I will arrive in Washington DC after nearly a month and 700 miles on foot from Chicago. Here's the route for the last steps in Washington, DC, starting in Bethesda, MD, heading down Wisconsin Avenue, towards the Healthcare rally in Meridian Hill Park (Malcolm X Park). Join the rally at the Park (1pm - 4pm)! Then at the conclusion of the rally we will walk to the Lincoln Memorial passing by the White House. This last segment is about 2 miles.

9AM Start at Bethesda Doubletree (8120 Wisconsin Ave)

10AM Chevy Chase Country Club (along Wisconsin Ave)

11AM Fort Reno Park (along Wisconsin Ave)

12PM Washington National Cathedral

1PM Along National Zoological Park (along Connecticut Avenue)

2PM Meridian Hill Park (Malcolm X Park) for Rally

4PM Leave Rally and begin Walk to White House (via 16th St)

5PM Along the White House (17th Street)

6PM Lincoln Memorial

View Larger Map

Tamara in Hagerstown, Maryland

2009-07-22T22:30:00.002-07:00

Tamara in Hagerstown, Maryland
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Tamara told me, “She was lucky having health insurance.” Knowing generally that lack of insurance was a problem, she didn’t have any particular personal stories to share. But when I asked about health reform, she said, simply enough, that, “More should be done.”

Patrick in Hagerstown, Maryland

2009-07-22T22:30:00.001-07:00

Patrick in Hagerstown, Maryland
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Patrick has been on and off insurance all his life. “More off than on,” he further clarified for me. “My credit rating is trashed because of ‘medical stuff.’” And in the 80s he had a skull injury. “I actually had insurance but not everything was covered so I just couldn’t pay.” He seemed relaxed for someone for whom the system seemed not to work—forced into debt, even with insurance, and now suffering the consequence of ruined credit. But perhaps one gets used to such predicament.

Gayla in Hagerstown, Maryland

2009-07-22T22:30:00.000-07:00

Gayla in Hagerstown, Maryland
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Gayla told me that she and her husband have been “very lucky.” They’ve had employer-provided insurance through Verizon—“pretty good insurance,” she told me. but Frontier is buying the West Virginia assets of the company, so in ‘the transition’, as she put it, they have no idea what it’ll mean for them. This is important because her son stepson has cystic fibrosis (CF). At age 23 he’s a real survivor. He’s done well but lately, from an insurance standpoint, it’s gotten very complicated.

Based on doctor’s orders, he’s strictly limited to very light work, at a maximum of 30 hours a week. So essentially, as Gayla told me, “He’s stuck with a part-time employment status.” Insurance on his own is not a possibility,” she added. “And he can’t get SSI because he actually can work a little.” And while Verizon promised to cover him (as part of their employer-based coverage) even into adulthood, Gayla and her husband don’t know if that agreement will be honored by the new company. She doubts that it will be.

“It sounds like there are so many cracks in the system,” I said.

“Yes. It’s a real problem. And it’s not abstract—my son’s life depends on it.”

Live GPS tracking of the Walk For Healthcare

2009-07-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

GPS tracking powered by InstaMapper.com
Note that this only tracks when the InstaMapper software is in the 'foreground.' If I am on the phone, taking a picture, using other functions or, of course, if the battery is dead, tracking will stop at the last active position. Meet up with me on the walk, walk alongside, and, if you like, share your stories!

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Hagerstown Herald-Mail

2009-07-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

For the online link, click here.

Interview of Dr. Gurel on the Dick Kay show - WCPT-AM (7/18/09)

2009-07-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

Click here to listen. For the Chicago Progressive Talk website, click here.

For video podcasts of the interview, click here.

Martin in Harrisonville, Pennsylvania

2009-07-21T22:30:00.004-07:00

Martin in Harrisonville, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Martin has been out-of-work since last year. “Obviously I have no insurance,” he said. He has insulin-dependent diabetes and gets some healthcare through the Pennsylvania ACCESS card. He explained that, “If I go back to work, however, I’ll lose my medical care.”

“That's a disincentive to work,” I said.

“Sure is … I need to stay under twenty hours a week to get medical care. If I work more, there’s no job, no way I could pay for the healthcare and medicines. I can’t just drop the insulin.”

Jim in Bedford, Pennsylvania

2009-07-21T22:30:00.003-07:00

Jim in Bedford, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

“I would call myself a fiscal conservative,” Jim told me as we sat together discussing healthcare in his living room. “I believe that health savings accounts, HSAs, and patient involvement in the decisions will be important to bring costs under control.” He added that in his experience, once health benefits are provided, it’s “very difficult to backtrack.”

He’s worked in government for 32 years and is currently retired. “Personally, I think the government plan, if made available to all, would work well. I think that would be easy to implement. It allows choice, there’s already a mechanism to collect premiums. and there could be some income tiering.”

Jo in Bedford, Pennsylvania

2009-07-21T22:30:00.002-07:00

Jo in Bedford, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

“I think that it’s possible to have a very basic plan as a public good.” Jo told me she’s seen examples of that and she “believes it’s a good use of taxpayer money.” But she also realizes how it could get out-of-hand. “It all depends on how and what ‘basic’ is defined as,” she said. “Sometimes that’s too abstract.”

Gloria in Harrisonville, Pennsylvania

2009-07-21T22:30:00.001-07:00

Gloria in Harrisonville, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Gloria is the owner of Hollinshead grocery. She told me how the grocery, a family business, has been in Harrisonville for over a hundred years. Being self-employed, She hasn’t had health coverage for more than twenty years, ever since her husband’s company went out of business. “It’s just too expensive to get insurance being self-employed,” she told me.

Three years ago, her husband had a heart attack and died. She explained that paying for his care, even in the midst of grieving, was not easy. “A Harrisburg doctor accepted a ‘payment plan’,” and she also applied for Hill-Burton funds to pay for testing and other hospital costs. “Things were not easy,” she added, with a touch of melancholy.

Mike in Harrisonville, Pennsylvania

2009-07-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

Mike in Harrisonville, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Mike, a customer at Hollinshead’s Grocery, lost his job at Caterpillar in February and now is without insurance. “COBRA was much too expensive,” he said. His unemployment check was $325 a week and health coverage cost over $400 a month. His children, “fortunately,” he told me, are covered through the state (ACCESS program). He seemed calm as he explained this predicament.

“My wife just got diagnosed with Lyme disease, though—a tick-bite right here in our back yard.” Eyes perked up among the others sitting about the grocery. He told me, “We’re paying cash for the lab bill.” It had originally been $307 but they were able to get it discounted to $187. “The doctor's bill was $80—and that's just for the diagnosis,” he added. “For the actual treatment, we’re dependin’ on free samples.”

Dr. Gurel to arrive in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, July 26

2009-07-21T07:27:00.000-07:00

Dr. Ogan Gurel to will arrive in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, July 26, after walking almost 700 miles from Chicago on behalf of health care reform

Throughout his “Walk for Health Care, “ Chicagoan has heard from
everyday Americans about the need for health care reform

For immediate release

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Chicago, IL—Dr. Ogan Gurel will arrive in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, July 26, as he completes the “Walk For Health Care,” which began when he departed Daley Plaza in his hometown of Chicago, IL, on Saturday, June 27. Throughout his journey Dr. Gurel has met everyday Americans who have shared their own health care stories, which reinforce the need for major health care reform. Dr. Gurel has shared those stories on his blog, http://walk4healthcare.org and via Twitter (http://twitter.com/walk4healthcare). Upon arriving in the nation’s Capitol Dr. Gurel hopes to meet with members of Congress and share the stories he has picked up along the way.

“Along the way I have met with hundreds of people and gathered stories of health care concerns that absolutely must be heard by the lawmakers in Washington, D.C.,” said Dr. Gurel. “I believe the health care reform bills being debated on Capitol Hill may very well be the most important pieces of legislation since the Civil Rights era.”

Dr. Gurel, who has walked along Lincoln Highway (US Route 30) for the majority of this trip, came up with the idea of the walk not in an effort to uphold any particular policy position or piece of legislation, but rather to bring out the voice of the people and to advance the principles of universality and affordability as a framework for moving the health care debate forward.

Upcoming stops on the Walk For Health Care include: Everett, PA on July 21; Breezy Point, PA on July 22; Hagerstown, MD on July 23; Frederick, MD, on July 24; Gaithersburg, MD on July 25; and Washington, DC on July 26.

###

About Dr. Ogan Gurel

Dr. Gurel, originally from New York City and a graduate of Stuyvesant High School, is a physician educated at Harvard University and the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. He completed surgical internship at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and having also worked as a health care consultant, an international medical relief physician (in Macedonia during the NATO campaign and in Turkey after the 1999 earthquake), a medical device company CEO, and a basic biomedical researcher, Dr. Gurel has seen virtually all sides of health care both in the U.S. and abroad. He has been a patient (both insured and uninsured) and presently, as a self-employed consultant, he, like nearly 50 million other Americans, lacks health insurance.

Photo Credit: Darrell Sapp, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Eric in Bedford, Pennsylvania

2009-07-20T22:30:00.001-07:00

Eric in Bedford, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

I met with Eric in Jim’s living room (at the home where I stayed that night). Jim had invited several neighbors to stop by for a discussion of healthcare reform and Eric was gracious enough to share his story with me.

First, he does not have health insurance. He looked into it, reviewed the policies from three companies and saw that there was essentially no difference among them. “It was 80/20 coverage and no doctors were covered,” he told me. The premiums started off at $300 a month and went up to $900 a month within a year. “Worse than the cable company!” And so he dropped the coverage.

As it turns out, Eric did have a serious health issue last year—a pituitary adenoma (a form of benign, but still very dangerous, brain tumor). One morning he woke up nearly blind—all he could see was a tiny pin-prick of light (an extreme form of a condition called ‘tunnel vision’). He had himself taken to the emergency room.

To make a long story short, he was treated at UPMC. He told me “Hershey refused to talk because he had no insurance.” Being without insurance, he now, after all was said and done, owed $160,000. He was able to make deals with the doctors but the hospital, he told me, “was never cooperative—a monster to deal with. And there was no negotiation.” He told me about his ongoing struggles with the hospital.

“And the billing was so strange," he added. As someone who checks things out carefully, he told me how an MRI at UPMC cost $7,000 but the same scan, on the same machine, cost $2,000 in the nearby town of Altoona. “And a single Tylenol pill cost $10! It’s a crazy system.”

Kay in Bedford, Pennsylvania

2009-07-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

Kay in Bedford, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Kay’s a part-owner of a small business—all of three people. Because of the high cost of health insurance, the deductibles, and ‘all that,’ “they’ve got no discretionary income,” she told me. They’re with Highmark and the premium went up $100 a month within the past few months alone. Her husband has had two heart surgeries (done at the Cleveland Clinic). The cost was $4,000 a day but they ended up paying $700. “That was a relief,” she said. “But we're lucky. We can afford healthcare insurance—barely—but that leaves us with no extra money.” Clearly up-to-date on various healthreform proposals, she added, “It would be nice if I could deduct it as a tax credit.”

“But here’s the real problem,” Kay continued. “If my husband—or I—couldn’t work then we wouldn’t be able to maintain the income to pay for any insurance. How will we be able to pay for health insurance when we actually need it most? That’s what doesn’t make sense.”

I was readying to leave when Kay interrupted. “One more thing. I think much of these premium monies are being wasted.”

“How so?” I asked.

“I went to a Pirates game and they were giving out free bobblehead dolls.” Guess who sponsored all that?”

“Who?”

“Highmark. That’s where health insurance premiums go—to advertising.”

And so my experience came full circle as I recalled the giant Highmark billboards scattered among Pittsburgh’s downtown when I had been there four days earlier.

Write to President Obama about the Walk For Healthcare

2009-07-20T05:49:00.000-07:00

Feel free to copy & paste (and edit as you like) the following to send to the White House using the link http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.

Dear President Obama,

I believe true healthcare reform is of critical importance to the nation. Healthcare for all is a matter of human rights, human dignity, and economic security.

My friend, Dr. Ogan Gurel, has been walking from Chicago to Washington, DC over the past month in support of healthcare reform. Specifically, he has been gathering stories from real people along his Lincoln Highway route in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. He will be in Hagerstown, Maryland tonight (7/22) and plans to arrive in Washington on the afternoon of Sunday (7/26) and staying in DC through Tuesday (7/28). I hope that you might have a chance to meet with him, not only because the Walk is a remarkable statement of support for healthcare reform (I haven’t seen any lobbyists initiating such a formidable accomplishment), but specifically because Dr. Gurel has gathered hundreds of stories, posting them on his blog (http://walk4healthcare.org) and Twittering them (@walk4healthcare) along the way. These stories paint a picture, as he calls it, of a “national catastrophe,” that deserves to be heard much more forcefully than the plaintive pleas of lobbyists intent upon preserving their piece of the healthcare money pot. The voice of the people must be at the forefront of this debate.

In addition to meeting with you, Dr. Gurel is keen to meet with lawmakers in Congress (some Senators have already expressed interest) and any assistance in facilitating such meetings would also be much appreciated. Dr. Gurel can be reached at ogan@walk4healthcare.org.

Thank you very much for your consideration,

XXXXX

or call/fax:

Tel: 202-456-1414
Fax: 202-456-2461

Thank you!

Ogan

ogan@walk4healthcare.org

Photo Credit: Darrell Sapp, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Terry in Greensburg, Pennsylvania

2009-07-19T22:30:00.002-07:00

Terry in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Terry’s here in Greensburg visiting from Philadelphia. She shared with me the story of her mother’s untimely death, which resulted, in her estimation, from a nightmarish confluence of administrative barriers and inhumane insurance policies.

The story goes as follows. Her mother underwent a liver biopsy. This was on a Friday. As Terry explained to me, “She was done as an outpatient, but even though the surgeon said it was complicated, with ‘bleeders,’ she was not permitted by her insurance to stay overnight.” She returned home for the weekend. On Sunday, she went to the emergency room with escalating pain but was sent home again being told it was a ‘gallbladder’ problem. The pain still unbearable, she returned to the ER within three hours. “From what we learned,” Terry said, “there was a blood clot pressing on the bile duct.” She progressed rapidly downhill from there ending up three-and-a-half weeks in the ICU (battling sepsis). Six weeks after the biopsy she died.

Terry finished the story. “If only the insurance had been more flexible, had considered true medical necessity, in observing my mother the first night after her procedure, perhaps she would still be with us now.”

Ed at the King's & Queen's Restaurant & Hotel in Stoysville, Pennsylvania

2009-07-19T22:30:00.001-07:00

Ed at the King's & Queen's Restaurant & Hotel in Stoysville, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

“I haven’t had health insurance since ‘92," Ed told me, when I asked him if he had any healthcare stories. “That’s when Bethlehem Steel closed down—so, no insurance, for me.”

I nodded. “I can understand. I don’t have insurance either.”

I don’t think Ed really heard me as he continued, “I’m glad I’m healthy because if not, I’d be dead.”

Ed plays quite a bit of soccer (he’s wearing his soccer t-shirt now) and he told me of an injury he had a few years back. He got hit pretty hard at a soccer game at the “Y.” “Got myself a gash on my head and some sort of shoulder injury.” And so he went to the emergency room. When he told them he lacked insurance, Ed told me that the doctor basically said, “Stitch him up and send him home.” Ed had an angry look on his face. “I got 27 stitches but they did nothing about my shoulder.” I suppose I could understand his displeasure as with all that he got a bill for $2,300. “I still haven’t paid it, and I never will be able to,” he said.

Despite these distressing stories, Ed was not really as sour as his tale would make him to be. We talked about quite a few other topics and he wished me well on my journey, closing in now, on Washington, DC.

Karl at the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania

2009-07-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

Karl at the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Karl, a volunteer Ambassador at the Flight 93 Memorial, told me he doesn’t believe in a government-run system. According to him, the ‘free-market’ is the best though he acknowledged that having insurance linked to employment was a problem. “Empower the individual,” Karl explained to me.

“So how about your own situation,” I asked.

“We're not well-to-do,” he said. “I get my health insurance from the state, a plan called ‘Special Care’ which is in between Medicaid and private insurance.”

“And how’s it going with that?”

“Very well actually,” he answered. “It’s not connected to employment status so I have the freedom to change jobs without changing my health coverage.”

[On a side note, Karl, in his presentation to the thirty some-odd gathered visitors at the memorial explained how about $40 million more was needed to complete the permanent Flight 93 Memorial. I recalled how anti-reform industry groups were spending (as reported by the Wall Street Journal) about $1.4 million a day in their selfish and grasping efforts to thwart (or worse manipulate) healthcare reform. That means that about a month of that spending (the time it took for me to walk from Chicago to DC) would cover the remaining cost of the Memorial—a tribute, as most know, to Americans who gave the last full measure of sacrifice for their fellow citizens.]

Contact your Members of Congress!!!

2009-07-19T06:26:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

As you know, Ogan is due to arrive in DC on Sunday the 26th.
This means we only have one week left to spread the word about it, and Contact Congress to ask they see him on our behalf upon arrival.

Now there is a VERY easy way for you to do it all in just a few clicks too!

This article below was published yesterday about the Walk; and it gives an overview of the movement while pointing out the strength is in blending both high-tech devises and “feet on the ground” activism.

“Where the Tech-Rubber Meets the Activism-Road”
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Where-the-Tech-Rubber-Meet-by-Heather-Meyer-090717-595.html

At the bottom of each page is a Take Action link that reads:
“Meet with The People on Health Care, by Meeting with Dr. Gurel”

Follow this link and you will see: You can Contact Congress (both houses, add personal message), send the article to your local newspaper, then pass it onto your friends and family, and ask them to do the same! If you prefer to Call Congress, then there is a handy-dandy phone number lookup for you there instead. Calling can be a great way to get an answer back from your members of Congress too; just ask the person taking your call for a return call to get an answer if your rep will meet with Ogan, and then let us know what you were told.

If you would like to see more press on the Walk for Healthcare or want more to pass on to others, it can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=113509038713&topic=8774

The only thing that’s missing from the press archives at this moment is the interview Ogan just had with Dick Kay of Chicago’s Progressive Talk – great stuff, will post when ready!

Lastly, I wanted to thank everybody that has really stepped up to support the Walk. It has been a sight to behold, to see everybody coming together like this for health care reform. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate it! Ogan will be posting one incredible story about a supporter today too, so stay tuned…

Please let me know if there is something I can do to help you with this effort too!

Thank you,
Heather Meyer
Event Coordinator
http://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveMews

Bob in Greensburg, Pennsylvania

2009-07-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

Bob in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Bob has worked for the government for 44 years. He told me that he’s always had health insurance (BC/BS via the government plan).

“Why is it not possible to make that available to all?” he wondered. “It’s the same plan as that for Congressmen and Senators.” He added that it was a big pool and that “it would bring in younger people, make the insurance for all more affordable.” But, he explained, “It’s different with corporate America. I'm retired now but I still get the same coverage as those who are still employed in government.”

Dr. Ogan Gurel on the Dick Kay show (Part 4 of 4)

2009-07-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

Dr. Ogan Gurel on the Dick Kay show (Part 3 of 4)

2009-07-18T21:46:00.001-07:00

Dr. Ogan Gurel on the Dick Kay show (Part 2 of 4)

2009-07-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Dr. Ogan Gurel on the Dick Kay show (Part 1 of 4)

2009-07-18T21:44:00.000-07:00

Ryan in Greensburg, Pennsylvania

2009-07-17T22:30:00.002-07:00

Ryan in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Ryan is a young American. 24 years old, sporting an unassuming t-shirt and buzz cut, he exudes a personality simultaneously reserved and forthright. He has a gracious smile, offered with a twist of the head but then when he looks at you, with a piercing gaze, his face turns serious. As a writer, he seeks to deeply understand people, yet some things, like healthcare insurance, elude even his keen comprehension.

Brought up in a family who never had health insurance, Ryan is, nevertheless, a man with energetic, ambitions. After an early honorable discharge from the Army—for medical reasons—and a fruitless search for a job, he is working to finish his first novel, Ever Street Road, a parable, as he calls it, for the choices in life that one makes. Yet, in this great country, bursting with infinite possibility, Ryan has few, if any, choices. Infinitude meets finitude—this is America.

The future is but an illusion. Not knowing whether there will be healthcare for all or only healthcare for some, Ryan and I, sharing dinner, are focused on the present and the past. This is the only thing we truly know. The future, a future where the young ambitions of earnest, yet thwarted souls, might reach their full potential, is only a dream. Reality is how I met Ryan and what brought him to run up the hill to meet me on US 30 as 18-wheelers thundered past.

Just east of North Versailles, about 25 miles beyond my initial walking point, the last few miles trundled on through with pain. My feet—a jumble of collapsing arches, exploding blisters, and hemorrhaging nail beds—were beyond rebellion. I would have ordinarily arranged a pick-up to take me to the next hotel—now about eight miles east—but this had not materialized. And the transport for the bag—the 70 pound suitcased monstrosity—from which I live, had not been arranged. And despite the physical tribulations of walking nearly 24 miles a day, the most challenging part of the Walk has been the logistics. Lodging, pick-up (often the bunk down place is not necessarily on my walking route), and bag transport had all to be arranged. If any one of these elements fell through, the Walk would come to a standstill. At this point, I was not worried so much about that. With the sun now setting, knowing that I would soon be walking in the dark—the time when sounds become more important than sights—I was worried about my survival, concerned about arriving at the motel—if I made it at all—well after midnight. At the bottom of the hill, I had stopped at a McDonald’s to replenish myself with water and recharge my phone batteries. I slipped on my safety vest and grimly headed up the hill.

A young man, gasping for breath, came up beside me. Cars rushed by and instinctively motioned him towards the narrow shoulder.

“Are … are you Doctor Gurel?” he asked, wide-eyed, disbelieving. I was on the phone, still working feverishly to arrange transport of my bag. Too tired to be surprised, I smiled at him, and nodded. “I was following you on Twitter and … and I just had to come and meet you.” I hung up the phone, and out of habit continued on forward, as the young man joined me. “I’m Ryan, Ryan Trump,” he added.

“Oh yes! From Facebook!”

“Yes,” he said, his face twisting, searching for words to describe a situation for which there was no precedent. “Wow, I can’t believe this.”

“What?”

“That I met you here.”

I chuckled. “Crazy, isn’t it?” Ryan and I had exchanged some e-mails during the past few weeks on Facebook, and it was strange indeed that an entirely electronic friendship had materialized here on the not-so-isolated Lincoln Highway east of Pittsburgh.

And so we talked—talked with amazement about the GPS tracking technology that had brought Ryan to my very spot. We talked about healthcare. But I had to interrupt him. “Ryan, I have a problem.”

“What’s that?”

“My motel is about seven miles up, in Irwin. I have no pick-up to get there. Could you help out?”

“That’s the least I can do!”

I smiled weakly. Deliverance, in the form of Ryan Trump, shy but forthright, gracious but ambitious, had arrived. I was grateful for the wonders of technology and even more for the grace of initiative and real, not electronic, fellowship.

And so, after a couple of hours of back-and-forth driving, Ryan and I delivered the suitcase and myself to the motel in Irwin.

But that was the present. The following evening I had dinner with Ryan and we talked about the past. The present and the past: while this is what we know, we spoke out of hope for the future. A future with healthcare for all, and not just for some. A future where the imagined infinitude of possibilities cross with the crushing reality of no possibility.

“My family has never had health insurance,” Ryan told me. “My father worked in maintenance at the hospital for 36 years. And we never had health insurance but we could get care through the hospital.”

“That’s good,” I replied.

“Then the hospital closed, back in 2006, and he got laid off … but he was close to retirement anyway.”

“So what do you do now?”

“It’s difficult. My mom’s got a heart condition, had a heart attack back in 2000. You know it could always happen again. She’s got four types of drugs.”

“How do you pay for it?”

“It’s all out-of-pocket.”

“But you told me that you had troubles with the bank.”

“That’s just the way it goes—you pay for the medications when you can.”

I shook my head. “And how about for you? What’s it like to not have insurance?”

Ryan, who would usually look straight at me with those forthright, almost aggressive eyes, glanced down. “Well, you got aches and pains, but you think, ‘do I deal with the pain or do I go to the hospital and suffer accumulated debt? I’m 24 years old and my credit score is probably garbage. Can’t do anything in life with that, you know.”

I figured, listening between the lines, that Ryan had, in fact, gotten some healthcare, and the ‘accumulated debt’ he had referred to was real. “How’s the asthma?” I asked. (This was the reason for the honorable, medical discharge from the service).

“Oh, that’s not too bad. But there was this other situation.”

“What was that?”

Ryan thought for a moment, then looked up. “Well, I had a lump,” he said, pointing below the table.

24 years old young man, I realized that he was likely referring to testicular cancer—a condition made widely known by Lance Armstrong’s experience, and survival.

“Did you get it checked out?”

“Well, I was holding off for the longest time. But it was quickly getting bigger.”

My heart sank, but the fact of the rapid enlargement, encouragingly suggested to me that it wasn’t cancer. “And?”

“So I did go to the doctor eventually.” Ryan smiled and sighed. “He said it was some sort of hydrocele.”

“Oh yes, that’s good news.”

“They did an ultrasound … and, of course, I got all the bills. There was no way I could pay for them so I didn’t even open them up.”

An odd mix, a contradiction even, that with the wonderful news—namely that one did not have cancer—there came delivered a message of debt peonage that inspired even more despair than the dreaded diagnosis itself. It was almost as if the healthcare system itself was the cancer.

Mary in Greensburg, Pennsylvania

2009-07-17T22:30:00.001-07:00

Mary in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

At the tail end of a monstrous thunderstorm, seeking some shelter, even though I was soaking wet anyway, I met Mary at the Wendy’s just west of Greensburg. She was there with her daughter and grandson. We talked about the Walk and about healthcare reform.

Mary shared with me the story of her son, Jim. “He works in a plant nursery. He’s got no insurance but suffers from sympathetic dystrophy, you know what that is, right?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“He’s self-pay but basically he just suffers in pain. It breaks my heart,”

Rebecca in Greensburg, Pennsylvania

2009-07-17T22:30:00.000-07:00

Rebecca in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

“You can reach out for help, but if you have no health insurance you're nobody.” That's how Rebecca concluded the story she told me about the death of her boyfriend.

It's a complicated story but basically he 24 year-old and on in a Methadone rehab program. He was doing well in rehab when his treatment was about ½ done, his insurance ran out. Because of this, “The rehab facility, kicked him out,” Rebecca told me. She explained how, with withdrawal symptoms kicking in, he arrived home very sick. Two days later, near-comatose he was taken to the hospital where he was admitted to the ICU with liver failure but, according to Rebecca, they, “really didn't do anything.” At the time of his death, she said, with incredulity, that the staff was joking in front of her, laughing even.

The trauma continued, even after his death. She described how the coroner came in and started accusing people. “Then a doctor arrived, and asked if ‘the decedent had insurance.’”

Rebecca shook her head. “ ‘No’, I answered” And the doctor asked if I wanted to see the body. I said, “Yes,” but he told me that they had taken it away to make room for the next body. Rebecca told me it was all very sarcastic and cruel.

But the nightmare was not over. Then the bills started arriving. They were not married but the rehab center (which kicked him out) and the hospital demanded payment. “They fraudulently indicated that I signed the bills,” said Rebecca. “It’s been two years now and they’re still sending bills. Between the doctor and the financial games, I never had a chance to grieve over his death.” Rebecca’s eyes saddened as I asked her to sign for her consent.

“You can reach out for help, but if you have no health insurance you're nobody.”

Special Dispatch: Ryan's Story

2009-07-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

Brought up in a family who never had health insurance, Ryan is, nevertheless, a man with energetic, ambitions. After an early honorable discharge from the Army—for medical reasons—and a fruitless search for a job, he is working to finish his first novel, Ever Street Road, a parable, as he calls it, for the choices in life that one makes. Yet, in this great country, bursting with infinite possibility, Ryan has few, if any, choices. Infinitude meets finitude—this is America.

The future is but an illusion. Not knowing whether there will be healthcare for all or only healthcare for some, Ryan and I, sharing dinner, are focused on the present and the past. This is the only thing we truly know. The future, a future where the young ambitions of earnest, yet thwarted souls, might reach their full potential, is only a dream. Reality is how I met Ryan and what brought him to run up the hill to meet me on US 30 as 18-wheelers thundered past.

Just east of North Versailles, about 25 miles beyond my initial walking point, the last few miles trundled on through with pain. My feet—a jumble of collapsing arches, exploding blisters, and hemorrhaging nail beds—were beyond rebellion. I would have ordinarily arranged a pick-up to take me to the next hotel—now about eight miles east—but this had not materialized. And the transport for the bag—the 70 pound suitcased monstrosity—from which I live, had not been arranged. And despite the physical tribulations of walking nearly 24 miles a day, the most challenging part of the Walk has been the logistics. Lodging, pick-up (often the bunk down place is not necessarily on my walking route), and bag transport had all to be arranged. If any one of these elements fell through, the Walk would come to a standstill. At this point, I was not worried so much about that. With the sun now setting, knowing that I would soon be walking in the dark—the time when sounds become more important than sights—I was worried about my survival, concerned about arriving at the motel—if I made it at all—well after midnight. At the bottom of the hill, I had stopped at a McDonald’s to replenish myself with water and recharge my phone batteries. I slipped on my safety vest and grimly headed up the hill.

A young man, gasping for breath, came up beside me. Cars rushed by and instinctively motioned him towards the narrow shoulder.

“Are … are you Doctor Gurel?” he asked, wide-eyed, disbelieving. I was on the phone, still working feverishly to arrange transport of my bag. Too tired to be surprised, I smiled at him, and nodded. “I was following you on Twitter and … and I just had to come and meet you.” I hung up the phone, and out of habit continued on forward, as the young man joined me. “I’m Ryan, Ryan Trump,” he added.

“Oh yes! From Facebook!”

“Yes,” he said, his face twisting, searching for words to describe a situation for which there was no precedent. “Wow, I can’t believe this.”

“What?”

“That I met you here.”

I chuckled. “Crazy, isn’t it?” Ryan and I had exchanged some e-mails during the past few weeks on Facebook, and it was strange indeed that an entirely electronic friendship had materialized here on the not-so-isolated Lincoln Highway east of Pittsburgh.

And so we talked—talked with amazement about the GPS tracking technology that had brought Ryan to my very spot. We talked about healthcare. But I had to interrupt him. “Ryan, I have a problem.”

“What’s that?”

“My motel is about seven miles up, in Irwin. I have no pick-up to get there. Could you help out?”

“That’s the least I can do!”

I smiled weakly. Deliverance, in the form of Ryan Trump, shy but forthright, gracious but ambitious, had arrived. I was grateful for the wonders of technology and even more for the grace of initiative and real, not electronic, fellowship.

And so, after a couple of hours of back-and-forth driving, Ryan and I delivered the suitcase and myself to the motel in Irwin.

But that was the present. The following evening I had dinner with Ryan and we talked about the past. The present and the past: while this is what we know, we spoke out of hope for the future. A future with healthcare for all, and not just for some. A future where the imagined infinitude of possibilities cross with the crushing reality of no possibility.

“My family has never had health insurance,” Ryan told me. “My father worked in maintenance at the hospital for 36 years. And we never had health insurance but we could get care through the hospital.”

“That’s good,” I replied.

“Then the hospital closed, back in 2006, and he got laid off … but he was close to retirement anyway.”

“So what do you do now?”

“It’s difficult. My mom’s got a heart condition, had a heart attack back in 2000. You know it could always happen again. She’s got four types of drugs.”

“How do you pay for it?”

“It’s all out-of-pocket.”

“But you told me that you had troubles with the bank.”

“That’s just the way it goes—you pay for the medications when you can.”

I shook my head. “And how about for you? What’s it like to not have insurance?”

Ryan, who would usually look straight at me with those forthright, almost aggressive eyes, glanced down. “Well, you got aches and pains, but you think, ‘do I deal with the pain or do I go to the hospital and suffer accumulated debt? I’m 24 years old and my credit score is probably garbage. Can’t do anything in life with that, you know.”

I figured, listening between the lines, that Ryan had, in fact, gotten some healthcare, and the ‘accumulated debt’ he had referred to was real. “How’s the asthma?” I asked. (This was the reason for the honorable, medical discharge from the service).

“Oh, that’s not too bad. But there was this other situation.”

“What was that?”

Ryan thought for a moment, then looked up. “Well, I had a lump,” he said, pointing below the table.

24 years old young man, I realized that he was likely referring to testicular cancer—a condition made widely known by Lance Armstrong’s experience, and survival.

“Did you get it checked out?”

“Well, I was holding off for the longest time. But it was quickly getting bigger.”

My heart sank, but the fact of the rapid enlargement, encouragingly suggested to me that it wasn’t cancer. “And?”

“So I did go to the doctor eventually.” Ryan smiled and sighed. “He said it was some sort of hydrocele.”

“Oh yes, that’s good news.”

“They did an ultrasound … and, of course, I got all the bills. There was no way I could pay for them so I didn’t even open them up.”

An odd mix, a contradiction even, that with the wonderful news—namely that one did not have cancer—there came delivered a message of debt peonage that inspired even more despair than the dreaded diagnosis itself. It was almost as if the healthcare system itself was the cancer.

John in Braddock, Pennsylvania

2009-07-16T22:30:00.003-07:00

John in Braddock, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

As an ambulance driver, John definitely notes that, “the uninsured come to us in a more severe state. They don't have a family doctor and so in the ER people end up having to wait more because these critically ill patients come it.” He told me it was not uncommon for them to wait six months to a year before seeking any medical attention.

Christina in Braddock, Pennsylvania

2009-07-16T22:30:00.002-07:00

Christina in Braddock, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

As an EMT, she's seen diabetics without medications coming into the ER two to three times a week because their sugar gets "out of whack." They really don't have any healthcare access otherwise.

Zenobia in Braddock, Pennsylvania

2009-07-16T22:30:00.001-07:00

Zenobia in Braddock, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Zenobia has to see a doctor regularly for her prescriptions. “It’s really hard, because I have no insurance,” she said. “And I work hard. But since I’m part-time, Medicaid says I’m not eligible.” But since she’s working only 25 hours a week, she doesn’t apparently qualify for insurance through her employer either. “According to Medicaid, you’re working,” she said. But according to her employer, “You’re not working.” The cracks in the system she was facing, seemed, from her expression, to be more like gaping chasms, with no way out.

When she heard public assistance was no longer available for her, she called them, crying, “Why have I been dropped?” To which they answered, “You make more than $200 a month.” So she makes do with a hodge-podge of different programs and deals. She’s able to keep her medication bill down to $60 a month because the pharmacy has a special plan but her various other medical bills have accumulated to close to $6,000. “It’s all a mess, all so complicated,” she told me. “And if I really get hurt, I'm pretty much screwed.”

Rhonda in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Roberto Clemente Park)

2009-07-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

Rhonda in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Roberto Clemente Park)
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Rhonda returned to Pennsylvania to take care of her elderly family. She's had self-pay insurance via Highmark, the major insurer in the Pittsburgh market. “It's alright so long as you don't get sick.” Regarding the recent debates in Congress, she also added, “If you believe anything those execs put out, then you're a fool.”

She had a situation last year of right upper-quadrant abdominal pain. She went to the ER, which was an ordeal in itself. They started the work-up: a GI consult, surgical consult, ultrasound, HIDA scan were ordered and she was admitted for overnight observation. All the tests returned negative. Highmark denied the $7,000 for all the tests and the hospital stay, deeming that it was all 'medically unnecessary.' “There was no way for me to know they wouldn't cover it.” The hospital called for pre-approval, but the insurance company still had denied it. But Rhonda fought it, saying either the hospital was practicing fraudulent medicine or the company was wrong. They finally backed-off and paid.

Rhonda also described a story from a friend of hers who worked as a dental assistant. She had attended a conference on billing which the whole point of which was how to bill so the insurance company could deny the claim: what diagnostic categories to use, etc. The percentage of people who would NOT fight was estimated at 70%.

Picture from the 7/17 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

2009-07-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

Accompanying blurb: Dr. Ogan Gurel, of Chicago, walks along the Allegheny River on the North Shore as part of his trek to Washington, D.C. Dr. Gurel said that he will arrive in Washington on July 26. He said that he has competed in the "Head of the Ohio" and won twice. Dr. Gurel is trying to raise awareness about health care reform and is posting stories and updates to his Twitter and Facebook accounts as well as his blog.

Robin at the Holiday Inn Express in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

2009-07-15T22:30:00.001-07:00

Robin at the Holiday Inn Express in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Robin, whose smiled brightened up my day after a long day walking, told me the story about her girlfriend in Chicago. “She was doing well, but then lost her job. She lost her health insurance and last year, at age 50, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.”

“So how did she deal with that?” I asked.

“Well, she had to come up with $689/month for her insurance, the hospital would not provide healthcare otherwise.” As her condition got even more serious, all of their mutual friends and sorority sisters (Delta Sigma Phi) have been raising funds and sending her money for her care. “I guess,” Robin told me, “if it wasn't for us, she could be dead.” She said it without ego or braggadocio but rather out of sadness (even with our bright smile) that it had to be that way.

Deb at Miley's, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

2009-07-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

Deb at Miley's, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

As I entered Pittsburgh, Deb, working the counter at the Miley's BP convenience store, told me she has no insurance. She'll only go the doctor if absolutely necessary. “Basically,” she told me, “healthcare is just not available.”

Stories from West Virginia

2009-07-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Walk for Healthcare: Stories from West Virginia

The Walk through West Virginia - Photo map

2009-07-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

View West Virginia in a larger map

The Walk through Ohio - Photo map

2009-07-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

View Ohio in a larger map

Today, Thursday (7/16) Ogan will be a guest on Nicole Sandler's Air America radio show

2009-07-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

This special broadcast is timed just before the Pittsburgh Rally (click here for more info)

Nicole also has a great website covering the hot topics she reports on each day. She posts before she is on air, and then again after the show to add her podcast and other updates at: www.RadioorNot.com

Nicole's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/nsandler

To listen to Ogan on air, you can stream Nicole's show LIVE here: http://airamerica.com/listen at 12:15 pm EDT (Thursday, 7/16). TUNE IN!

Stories from Ohio

2009-07-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

Walk for Healthcare: Stories from Ohio

Tom in Chester, West Virginia

2009-07-14T22:30:00.003-07:00

Tom in Chester, West Virginia
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Tom described a situation in which he was buying two batteries for a scooter. Since he was paying out-of-pocket, they discounted the price $30 below the price they charged Medicare. “Something fishy’s going on,” he said.

Joyce in Lisbon, OH (the picture is in East Liverpool)

2009-07-14T22:30:00.002-07:00

Joyce in Lisbon, OH (the picture is in East Liverpool)
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Joyce shared this story about her ex-husband. He had recently had an accident at work. This was ‘covered’ by Workmen's Compensation. The emergency visit went fine but he needed two heparin shots in follow-up visits to the doctor. The doctor wanted $1,000 up-front even though they knew that Workmen’s Comp would cover it (although the receiving the reimbursement often took months). “They wouldn’t give him the shots without the up-front payment.” and it ended up that his boss loaned him the money. “See,” Joyce added, “even when you do have insurance sometimes it doesn't mean nothing.”

Sharyn at the DaVinci salon in Chester, West Virginia

2009-07-14T22:30:00.001-07:00

Sharyn at the DaVinci salon in Chester, West Virginia
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

I met Sharyn at the DaVinci salon. No, I wasn’t going in for a pedicure, which, with the condition my feet were in wouldn’t have been easy anyway. Actually, the peeked out the door and asked, “Are you that doctor walking from Chicago to DC?” and invited me in for a glass of water. Being busy with clients, there was no opportunity to get any stories. But they all were supportive of the Walk. “We sure need healthcare reform,” Sharyn said, as her co-workers gathered about along with the clients reclining in their chairs nodded in agreement.

Shirley at Reese's Market on US-30 in Pennsylvania

2009-07-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

Shirley at Reese's Market on US-30 in Pennsylvania
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

“I've got no money for insurance,” Shirley, working behind the counter at Reeve's marketplace, told me. “Just Medicare, pretty healthy, I'm lucky.” She told me how she didn’t sign up for the AARP prescription medication plan. “It didn’t make sense,” she said. “AARP wasn’t really paying and they seemed to be getting the higher priced drugs anyway.”

"Doctor's Orders" - Article in the East Liverpool Review

2009-07-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

For the online link, click here.

Doctor's Orders in the East Liverpool Review

2009-07-14T07:29:00.000-07:00

See http://www.reviewonline.com/page/content.detail/id/516602.html for the full article

Gary at the Dairy Queen in Lisbon, Ohio

2009-07-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

Gary at the Dairy Queen in Lisbon, Ohio
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

For the past eleven years, Gary has had Type I diabetes (insulin-dependent diabetes). Up until recently, he has never had insurance. But thankfully, “the doctors have taken care of me,” he said. He did tell me about a knee operation that cost him about $10,000. “But now,” he said, “his wife has a job, which comes with insurance, and so I’m covered.”

Help me take your healthcare message to Washington!

2009-07-13T20:09:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your support of the Walk For Healthcare (@walk4healthcare & on FB). We are at a critical point in the walk, more than halfway, building momentum, regular local media coverage at every town I walk through. But this walk would not be possible without your help – moral, organizational, and financial.

Please know that your supportive notes are much valued. Walking twelve (or more) hours a day AND hearing tales of despair & misery is not easy. Your support gives me strength to continue. And the stories that I share with the wider world --- on Twitter and on the blog also compel me to continue. It has been a privilege to be able to share these stories. And share I must because healthcare is about people and the voice of the people is what Congress must hear rather than the cash-laden, self-interested pleas of special interest lobbyists. To share these stories is my obligation and I hope, as you believe in healthcare for all, that it is your obligation too.

So: please get the word out NOW! I say now, because the Walk is closing fast on DC – on schedule to arrive on Sunday, July 26^th. There is very little time to build the critical mass necessary to deliver this message with the force and intensity it deserves. So … please RT (on Twitter), invite friends to the FB group, email your network, contact your Representatives & Senators, reach out to media contacts you have.

I will be in Pittsburgh on Thursday, July 16^th. This will be the big turning point. The Appalachian mountains to follow will be challenging and already a strong supporter (based in Mansfield, OH) has volunteered to follow in a trail car which will facilitate the logistics and enable me to focus on walking and meeting people. This will cost about $2,000 (rental car, lodging, meals). Medicines (antibiotic ointment, ibuprofen) ironically have been the most expensive part of my portion of the trip. So, we are talking about a Walk that’ll cost about $3,000. It is important to get donations now—today—in order to ensure success. Keep in mind that this few thousand has the potential to serve as a significant counterweight to the tens of millions of dollars (and more) that special interest lobbyists are spending to thwart significant healthcare reform. So, if you donate $5, the power of that is magnified into something like $50,000!! It costs $10 worth of medicines to keep me moving for one day. Don’t assume someone else will take up the challenge. Commit yourself.

The week before the walk – when I had decided to do it – I said to myself, “Perhaps someone else will walk for healthcare reform.” Again, it is easy to think that someone else will take up the challenge. Please lead the way and support the Walk today (by spreading the word, walking alongside – follow the GPS tracking on walk4healthcare.org, and through your generous financial support. It is easy to donate via PayPal. Simply click on this secure PayPal link here:

I close with a story. At the Ft. Wayne rally (where nearly 40 people showed up in support of healthcare reform – from all parts of the policy debate) Jessica (pictured with the sign) and her two sons – Noah and Chris – showed up to support the Walk and substantial healthcare reform more generally. Both Jessica and her husband are from Elkhart, recently laid off and without health insurance. Their two sons are fortunate to be covered by Medicaid. Looking at me with shy, but earnest eyes, Noah handed me $10 to help me on my way. Here I am shaking Chris’ hand, too, as the two young boys, encouraged along by their beaming mother, Jessica, felt overcame their inhibitions to reach out to me. I was deeply touched. And I could not, at all, refuse the money, both because it would be impolite in the face of such a genuine gesture and also because the $10 could very well save the walk down the line – with a purchase of sunblock, or an emergency water bottle that was not donated, etc. It was very humbling for me to see a family (like many others they have given consent for me to share their stores) in the throes of financial challenge reach out and embrace a wider vision of the world. Please join them in enabling one small contribution to what we hope will be a healthcare for all and, for us all, a better world.

Please don’t let down all the people who have found hope and inspiration with this Walk. Please donate today.

Thanks again!

Ogan

ogan@walk4healthcare.org

http://www.twitter.com/walk4healthcare

Kenneth at the McDonald's in Canton, OH

2009-07-12T22:30:00.001-07:00

Kenneth at the McDonald's in Canton, OH
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

I met Kenneth at McDonald’s over breakfast. A retiree, he told me he’s been “generally pretty healthy.” Except for last year when, “He came down with a serious case of pneumonia.”

“How’d that go,” I asked.

“Not good. I don’t feel as strong as before. And, when I returned home, there was a stack of bills waiting for me.”

“Did you have insurance?”

“Yes. But, the insurance pays only what they think is necessary. All sorts of specialists came to see me, and how would I know if it was necessary or not? I ended up owing $1,800.” He hasn’t declared bankruptcy quite yet but, “I’m getting a lawyer,” he told me. “And I'm not fully recovered!”

Andrew in Minerva, Ohio

2009-07-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

Andrew in Minerva, Ohio
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

I met Andrew and his family at the Dairy Queen in Minerva. They have a complicated story. First, there are four members of the family. The youngest daughter who was too shy to get her picture taken (even with her parents and older sister holding the camera) is hidden behind the three. So she’s in the picture, but invisible (a parable for the uninsured). Her story will come soon enough.

First, Andrew. He's a trucker, worked for CR England for four years and during his employment (when he had health insurance) he had an operation for a total hip replacement. “I’ve had this problem for years,” he told me. “Pain in the hip—both hips actually—and it became dangerous to use pain-killers for a long time. So, I was glad to have the operation.” But the company laid him off ten days after the surgery and he lost his insurance. The complained for wrongful termination and he was actually offered a job to return (Andrew knew the company was at fault) but this 'new job' did not offer any healthcare insurance. So he had to quit. “My recovery is still slow,” and with such a complicated surgery, follow-up is necessary. But Andrew can’t afford the $300 fee for any of the appointments with the surgeon.

Now the story of the little girl. I didn’t get her name—let’s call her ‘Jane Doe.’ Her mother told me, “She’s got a terrible problem with her teeth, the dentist said bacteria is eating at her teeth and it could go to her brain.” But because the family lost their coverage, “We’ve had to cancel the operation.”

So, why is ‘Jane Doe’ hiding from the camera? Is it because she’s a shy four year-old? Or because she's already old enough to be embarrassed about her teeth? Or perhaps she’s traumatized by the whole situation, even if she doesn’t fully understand it. Or is she simply invisible much like many of the other uninsured.

Ida at the Royal Star Motel

2009-07-11T22:30:00.001-07:00

Ida at the Royal Star Motel
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

“I've had no insurance most of the last year,” said Ida. She herself has diabetes and her husband has a spinal problems. “They were very fortunate,” she told me, because her husband “got his surgery at the Cleveland Clinic under a special program.” It had been an extensive operation involving multiple spinal ‘levels’ as well as titanium rods being inserted. “But,” she said, “all medical expenses were covered.”

“That’s great,” I said.

“Well, otherwise, healthcare has been a disaster.”

Danelle and children from Mansfield, OH

2009-07-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

Danelle and children from Mansfield, OH
Originally uploaded by walk4healthcare

Danelle (pictured here with her two lovely children) described a situation with her cousin, Barbara. She had a hysterectomy which turned out to be a very bloody operation and lasted over four hours. The insurance only allowed a 36-hour hospital stay and the doctor said that she needed more. “But,” Danelle told me wistfully, “she was kicked out anyway,”

Doctor Walking To D.C. To Promote Health Care Reform

2009-07-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

From: WFMD-TV in Mansfiel, OH

Dr. Ogan Gurel can be found walking along the Lincoln Highway with an American Flag sticking out of his backpack.

He is on a mission walking from Chicago to Washington, D.C. promoting awareness on health care reform. Dr. Gurel said his goal is to get health stories from real people who are both insured and uninsured.

Dr. Gurel said this walk is not political or about a political policy. He said he is walking because what is happening is not right, and this has to be about the people. Gurel said walking along the Lincoln Highway is a metaphor for what we need to think about healthcare.

The Walk For Healthcare

Congressional Record Citation

Stories from Maryland & DC - Congressional Record Entry

Stories from West Virginia & Pennsylvania - Congressional Record Entry

Stories from Ohio - Congressional Record Entry

Stories from Illinois & Indiana - Congressional Record Entry

Congressional Record Entry - Congressman Dennis Kucinich

The System is Sick - by Mikuak Rai

Real Stories, Real People: compact edition of the stories from the Walk

Special Thanks to ...

Real People with Real Stories

On the Dick Kay Show - 7/18/09

Photomaps from the Walk for Healthcare

Documents from the Walk for Healthcare

Real Stores, Real People, seeking Real Healthcare Reform

"Share Your Story" event in Chicago, Thursday 8-27

The Real Need for Real Healthcare Reform: Real Stories from Real People

Live Twitter Feed

Twitter Updates

A Virtual Map of Real People with Real Healthcare Stories

Experience the Walk Tweet-by-Tweet

Flickr map of the Walk - the journey, the people & the stories

"Share Your Story" event at Bar Celona in Chicago, Thursday 8-20

Write to the White House!

The Voice of the People

The Walk, the Fight, Continues (Email to the Facebook group for the Walk)

Huffington Post: "One Doctor Goes To Great Lengths For Universal Health Insurance"

NPR podcast: "Doctor Walks Cross Country to Raise Awareness for Health Care"

Arrival in DC at the People's Rally - 7/26

Stories from Washington, DC

Doris in Washington, DC

Keith in Washington, DC

The Walk through Washington, DC - Photo map

Stories from Maryland

Shayla in Gaithersburg, Maryland

Nuts & Bolts of the Walk

The Walk through Maryland - Photo map

Press release for Sunday's Washington DC rally

Rally & Walk - Washington DC - Sunday, July 26th

Brenda in Gaithersburg, Maryland

Howard and Tauyna in Frederick, Maryland

Terry in Middletown, Maryland

Sonny northwest of Frederick, Maryland

Tiffany in Hagerstown, Maryland

Chris in Frederick, Maryland

Frank in Frederick, Maryland

Stories from Pennsylvania

The Walk through Pennsylvania - Photo map

In DC: "Last Steps of The Walk, Next Steps to Real Reform"

Tamara in Hagerstown, Maryland

Patrick in Hagerstown, Maryland

Gayla in Hagerstown, Maryland

Live GPS tracking of the Walk For Healthcare

Hagerstown Herald-Mail

Interview of Dr. Gurel on the Dick Kay show - WCPT-AM (7/18/09)

Martin in Harrisonville, Pennsylvania

Jim in Bedford, Pennsylvania

Jo in Bedford, Pennsylvania

Gloria in Harrisonville, Pennsylvania

Mike in Harrisonville, Pennsylvania

Dr. Gurel to arrive in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, July 26

Eric in Bedford, Pennsylvania

Kay in Bedford, Pennsylvania

Write to President Obama about the Walk For Healthcare

Terry in Greensburg, Pennsylvania

Ed at the King's & Queen's Restaurant & Hotel in Stoysville, Pennsylvania

Karl at the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania

Contact your Members of Congress!!!

Bob in Greensburg, Pennsylvania

Dr. Ogan Gurel on the Dick Kay show (Part 4 of 4)

Dr. Ogan Gurel on the Dick Kay show (Part 3 of 4)

Dr. Ogan Gurel on the Dick Kay show (Part 2 of 4)

Dr. Ogan Gurel on the Dick Kay show (Part 1 of 4)

Ryan in Greensburg, Pennsylvania

Mary in Greensburg, Pennsylvania

Rebecca in Greensburg, Pennsylvania

Special Dispatch: Ryan's Story

John in Braddock, Pennsylvania

Christina in Braddock, Pennsylvania

Zenobia in Braddock, Pennsylvania