September 30, 2009
Help us remember those who have died
Harvard University recently reported that nearly 45,000 people die preventable deaths each year –123 every day, 5 every hour — because they lack health insurance that would provide access to affordable care. Sadly, even in the midst of health care reform debates, very little attention has been given to this tragedy.
What are the names of those who have died? Who are the families and friends left behind? What do clergy leaders say to their communities of faith at such a time?
The Faithful Reform in Health Care coalition is collecting these stories to show the human side of this tragic statistic. We are joining in memorial services all over the country to remember those who have died, lifting our voices in hope for health care reform, and acting to make comprehensive and compassionate reform possible.
Using the comment field below, please tell us your story of a loved one, a friend, or a member of your community of faith who has fallen victim to our broken system of health care so that the stories may be shared more broadly in Services of Remembrance and Hope.It’s easy. Just click “comments” below and share your story in the blank field that will appear under “Leave a Comment” at the end of the posted stories.
Permission: It is understood that by posting stories on this website, permission is thus granted for sharing these stories publicly.
Please note: This site is for collecting the stories of those who have died. Out of respect for those remembered in the stories, comments about the stories, and general information about health care reform will not be posted.
Alicia Rivers said,
October 16, 2009 at 6:26 pm
from the Middletown Journal, Middletown, Ohio
Find this article at:
http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/deceased-miami-student-remembered-for-her-passion-315472.html
Deceased Miami student remembered for her passion
Kimberly ‘Kimi’ Young, who graduated in December as a double major, reportedly died of swine flu complications.
By Richard Wilson, Staff Writer
Updated 9:19 PM Saturday, September 26, 2009
OXFORD — Friends say the Miami University graduate who died this week after reportedly suffering from swine flu delayed getting medical
treatment because she did not have health insurance.
News of Kimberly Young’s death Wednesday, Sept. 23, came as a shock to those who knew the vibrant 22-year-old who was working at least two
jobs in Oxford after graduating with a double major in December 2008.
Young became ill about two weeks ago, but didn’t seek care initially because she didn’t have health insurance and was worried about the cost,
according to Brent Mowery, her friend and former roommate.
Mowery said Young eventually went to an urgent care facility in Hamilton where she was given pain medication and then sent home.
On Tuesday, Sept. 22, Young’s condition suddenly worsened and her roommate drove her to McCullough Hyde Memorial Hospital in Oxford,
where she was flown in critical condition to University Hospital in Cincinnati.
“That’s the most tragic part about it. If she had insurance, she would have gone to the doctor,” Mowery said.
Family members indicated that Young died from complications from the H1N1 virus, but the Ohio Department of Health, the Hamilton County
Health District and the Butler County Health Department were unable to confirm she had been infected with the virus.
Bret Atkins, of ODH, said late Thursday afternoon that his department had not received a specimen yet to test for the H1N1 virus. If it is
confirmed, Young would be the fourth Ohioan to die from the virus and the second from Butler County.
Young, known as “Kimi” to her friends and family, graduated from Elmwood High School in Wayne, Ohio, and earned a bachelor of arts in
international studies and a bachelor of fine arts, while minoring in French and Spanish.
Miami grad recalled as a vibrant, exceptional young woman
Those who knew Kimi Young say she was a vibrant and exceptional person, in academics and as a friend.
The 22-year-old’s death Wednesday from complications possibly caused by the swine flu, came after she suffered symptoms for several days but
had nothing more than fever reducers to combat the virus, according to friends.
“I just can’t believe this has happened,” said Dr. Jeanne Hey, director of international studies at Miami and mentor to Young.
“She was just a presence on this campus. She organized trips. A lot of people knew her because she was so active.”
Young, who studied French, Spanish and earned two degrees at Miami — international studies and fine arts photography, was an active
member of the Students for Peace and Justice and the Association of Latin American Students.
The Wayne, Ohio, native was still in Oxford after graduating in 2008 because she wasn’t able to find the right job. Hey said this past summer,
Young was debating pursuing a graduate degree or working for a nonprofit organization.
“She had an incredible commitment to social justice,” Hey said. “She was a person with a huge heart and a very free spirit as well. She really
cared about people here and around the world.”
Young traveled twice to Latin America to explore human rights issues, and helped organize the spring break trips as part of the Students for
Peace and Justice, said Walt Vanderbush, club adviser and professor of political science and Latin American studies.
Vanderbush, who wrote letters of recommendation for Young, said she contributed greatly on the trips, taking photos and later making
presentations in her classes.
Young lived in an off-campus apartment and had been working at least two jobs — four years at the Kofenya coffee shop and nearly three years
at the Bagel & Deli, both on High Street in uptown Oxford.
At the Bagel & Deli, a memorial sign in the window reads, in part: “In a world where happiness comes with such a price, you made everyone
richer by just being you. Life just isn’t the same without you, friend.”
Employee Mallory Naber said those who knew “Kimi” were devastated by her passing.
“It’s been very hard for everyone who knew her,” she said.
At a busy Kofenya coffee shop Thursday afternoon, Young’s friends and co-workers wrote messages in a memorial book that will be given to her
family. By the register, a small memorial consisted of candid photos and messages to Young, “the best barista.”
Brent Mowery, a friend and former roommate, said Young was planning to move in October to join the arts scene in Philadelphia.
Mowery said he last saw Young the day before she got sick, about two weeks ago.
He said she was experiencing serious flu symptoms but didn’t seek medical treatment because she didn’t have health insurance.
“She was the most fun person to be with. The most energetic,” he said. “Everyone will tell you she was just a great person. She was always out
and about. As long as it was with people, that was the most important thing.”
Steve Cupp, owner of the Vertigo tattoo parlor next door to the bagel shop, got to know Young while hanging out during breaks from work.
“Kimi was the sweetest girl. Honest as the day is long. A real treat to be around,” Cupp said.
Cupp echoed what others have said, that Young was reluctant to get care because she didn’t have insurance. He said her death has raised the
alert level among students who come into his shop.
“I tell them, if you start feeling like you have symptoms, go get help. Call mom,” Cupp said.
Reports of swine flu cases at the student health center have tapered off since the beginning of the semester, said Miami spokeswoman Claire
Wagner.
As of Tuesday, there were 38 active H1N1 cases among the 341 total cases that have been reported since Aug. 21, Wagner said.
Professors have been advised to be flexible with assignments and attendance, as students are told to “self isolate” while experiencing flu
symptoms. Students shouldn’t return to class until 24 hours without a fever and without medication, Wagner said.
Beryl Smith said,
October 9, 2009 at 2:35 am
A dear friend of our family had her health insurance through her husband, a successful, self-employed architect. When he was diagnosed with Altzheimer’s Disease, he eventually lost his prefessional license, his income, and his health insurance for the two of them. She, who had survived breast cancer some years ago, suffered abdominal pains for over a year, but didn’t tell anyone or seek medical attention because she could not pay for it. Meanwhile she cared for her husband, mother, and bipolar brother.
When the pain was so bad she could not stand up, she broke her silence and phoned some friends, who insisted she see a doctor. She was diagnosed with advanced abdominal cancer, and died within a few months, leaving a shattered and grieving family and devastated friends.
Early detection certainly would have prolonged her life, and might have saved it. We just have to make health insurance affordable for everyone.
Leslie Boyd said,
October 4, 2009 at 2:55 pm
My beloved son died April 1, 2008 because he didn’t have insurance and he didn’t have the money to pay for the diagnositc test he needed.
Because of a birth defect (which left him uninsurable because it was a pre-existing condition), Mike was very vulnerable to colon cancer.
Despite his one-in-four chances of getting cancer, his doctor in Savannah, Ga., refused to give him a colonoscopy because Mike, a student and chef, didn’t have insurance or money. In fact, his medical record says three times, “Patient needs a colonoscopy but can’t afford it.”
When Mike got sick, his doctor misdiagnosed him three times. When he finally did do a colonoscopy, he discovered Mike’s colon was completely blocked by a tumor but didn’t tell him.
In February of 2005, Mike landed in the hospital in renal failure and voming fecal matter. They did surgery and found Stage 3 cancer.
After chemo and radiation, he got another blockage and they let him very nearly starve to death again before doing surgery. My daughter-in-law and I had to threaten to get a court order to get them to treat him.
After surgery, he was told they found “a few viable cancer cells,” and there was nothing more they could do. When I asked the doctor whether surgery or chemo might manage to kell the rest of the cancer cells, he said, “Oh, we wouldn’t do that.”
Mike developed a serious infection in his incision and they failed to treat it.
Fortunately, I had gotten him a consultation appointment with Dr. Herb Hurwitz at Duke University Medical Center, and Dr. Hurwitz offered to treat Mike free of charge.
But Mike needed Medicaid for the chemo and he had to separate from his wife to get it. He applied for disability and was turned down twicwe. He was finally approved in March 2008; his first check came nine days after he died.
Mike was a recovering alcoholic, devoted to helping other people attain and maintain sobriety. He would meet people at 3 a.m. if they needed him. He was passionate and loving, incredibly intelligent and funny. He saved many lives and was loved by a lot of people.
But he wasn’t important enough to get medical treatment before it was too late, so I took care of him and held his hand as he died.
I can’t even describe the hole in my life. I wanted my heart to stop beating when his did, but it kept going.
So I have devoted my life to gettin access to quality health care for everyone. No one should suffer the loss my family did, but it happens 45,000 times a year — once every 12 minutes. It’s hard to wrap my heart around that; I wish more people would try.
Elaine Fazzaro said,
October 2, 2009 at 7:31 pm
My brother in law was a construction worker who was out of work for an extended period when he suffered a GI hemorrhage. He went to the emergency room of his local community hospital where he was refused care because he did not have insurance. This was a number of years ago, and I am not sure if the present laws requiring true medical emergencies to be admitted were in place. But even without a law, the hippocratic oath and common sense should have been enough to convince the staff to attend to an obvious emergency in progress. Instead he was turned away and bled to death in the back seat of his car. He was 38 years old when he died.
Ron White said,
October 2, 2009 at 4:41 pm
My brother and I were born thirteen months apart. He was an electrical engineer and had an MBA, and successfully supported a family and two teens in Irving, Texas until he lost his job in a downsizing. He like I, my father, my mother and older brother (and many other African Americans) suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes. Unlike my father, mother and brother who worked for the government, with the loss of his high paying job with excellent benefits came a ton of stress and a lack of health insurance. A proud man, my brother hid his job loss from me and is family of origin for over a year. He burned through all of his assets, gave up paying for health and life insurance and stopped buying his medication in favor of paying for “more important things for his family”. His search for new employment was steady, systematic and unrelenting. After a very promising interview on a bright sunny day, he greeted his wife with a kiss and a smile and suffered a massive heart attack. Its been four years since Alfred’s death. My brother would be 59 today and I still grieve for him every day. I hate this “health care” system and blame his death squarely on its deficiencies. Thank you for allowing me remember him. May his story and that of so many others finally bring about the change we need.
Health Care Stories said,
September 30, 2009 at 9:50 am
Jan Chapman wrote about the premature death of her 25-year-old friend, Gaby Duffy, in “Another Real Person” at http://thinkinginpeaces.blogspot.com/2009/09/another-real-person.html. Jan is a member of Church of the Savior United Church of Christ in Austin, TX.