Back in 2009, I did a lot
of work on the streets here in Nashville, and one of the most memorable people
I ever helped was my friend "John Doe," because he was such an atypical
“client” who was not only an honorably discharged veteran, but he was also
eligible for social security and no one had ever told him so, so he lived under
a bridge suffering from horrible health problems, until I found him and helped
him get what was already his.
The pic below is one of John after I’d been working w him
and he received his first checks. I share this pic of him in a happier
moment, because the link to the video shows him in a very different setting and
condition, and it reminds us all why we have so much work to do.
The Johns of the world are why I can’t sleep at night, or rest during the
day, and why I can cry when I know this kind of thing still happens every day
across our country to human beings in the richest, most developed country on
earth. This video also shows why I supported the ACA and Obamacare, and why I won't rest until every single person in this country is insured or can receive quality, competent healthcare that doesn't force them out into the streets with serious medical conditions.
Be forewarned, this video is not safe for work and shows
male frontal nudity during a medical procedure. The video had gotten some
traction on YouTube before it was flagged inappropriate, and my friend Bri
(Girls Guide to Homelessness) posted it on Daily Motion for me.
But
the video is important because it reminds me of what I do this work every day
for, and that we - all of us - have so much work left to complete. I shot the video in 2009 and
had forgotten about it, until I was reminded by someone today. I couldn’t
watch it without crying, and it has been 4 years…I have shared this previously and I apologize for the repeat, but every now and then, it is good
to have one’s conscious shocked at the atrocities we commit right here in our own country, and sometimes just by
looking the other way…
Bri’s site and her post that promoted the video: http://girlsguidetohomelessness.com/2009/09/07/american-healthcare-for-the-poor-stone-soup-station/
Dailymotion Video: http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/xahrij_american-healthcare-for-the-poor_news
American Healthcare For the Poor (Stone Soup Station)
September 7, 2009 By 17 Comments
My friend over at Stone Soup Station (and HomelessTales.com
contributor) Steve Samra filmed this powerful video. I wanted to post
it here because I believe it to be a particularly important one to
watch. For anyone who believes that I consider myself as bad off as (or
worse off than) so many other homeless people… I don’t; I’m incredibly
lucky, and I know it.
John Doe is a Vietnam veteran. He lives
under a bridge and receives absolutely no financial assistance from the
government. Every day, he is forced to self-catheterize himself
several times, a painful and humiliating process. In the video behind
the cut, he bravely demonstrates this for Steve while answering
questions about himself, his homelessness, and his experience with the
American health care system.
John received an honorable discharge.
