Names of the Dead

My Mom died unexpectedly in her sleep - she had no illness complaints and her death was a total shock. As a woman in her 50s and then 60s, she could not afford health insurance on the individual market - so she had not had a check up in over 10 years. She was five months qualifying for Medicare. Maybe if she had access to affordable health care, her silent killer could have been detected and prevented - we'll never know. She was my best friend - I can't tell you how much I miss her! Ten years earlier my Dad died of cancer. He became sick at a time when my parents did not have health insurance. He did not see a doctor because my parents knew they could not afford a pre-existing condition. Months later my Mom got a job with health insurance - then they sent my Dad to the doctor. Three months later he died. Maybe if he had been seen and treated earlier, he could have lived longer or survived the disease. I lost both my parents - and the state of our country's health care most likely played a part in both of their early deaths. No one should lose their parents, siblings, grandparents, children, friends, or homes due to lack of a working health care system in our country! We need true universal health care that is affordable - Medicare for all!