Uninsured
Nicole Foy of the San Antonio Express-News does a tremendous job of humanizing the plight of the 46 million Americans without medical insurance. Her two-part "Life, Death and the Bottom Line" tells the story of Bonnie Terry, who devoted her career to helping battered women and the homeless, only to find herself at age 48 facing a diagnosis of cancer with no money or medical insurance to her name. Foy describes the many indignities Terry suffers as she desperately seeks treatment:
The breast cancer clinic for the indigent operated only on Mondays, Bonnie was told. And there were others in front of her. Bonnie hung up the phone, looking stunned.
"What did they say?" Connie asked.
"They said they have a long waiting list. That women are dying there and that I'm not dying," she said. "So this thing is growing fast and it could be all the way across my chest and they don't care? I guess I'm just not a priority."
Her words hung in the air as the two sisters embraced and cried.
Thanks to the Nieman Narrative Digest for recommending this story. www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA030407.01A.bonnie_terry_part_1.3697f78.html