Leslie Rapacki
49, Estacada, Oregon
Eric Glassford
49, Lake Mary, FL
Elizabeth Ann Machol
26, Santa Rosa CA
Chas Stein
40s, Kettering, OH via Los Angeles
Linda Gayle Walker
62, Adamsville,TN
Jim Newman
50, Wichita, KS
Denice Turchanik - Hindersman
50, Livonia, MI
Anthony Arzate
42, Las Vegas NV
Paula Novak
49, Austin, MN
Kim Riemer
52, Des Plaines, IL
Susan Counceller
52, Liberty Indiana
Jim Hudson
49, Copley, Ohio
Adam Perry
28, Cranston, Rhode Island
Geoff Kemetick
38, Tinley Park, IL
Dr. Michael E. Carter
53, Stone Mountain, GA
Buz Nourse
48, Stuart, FL
Lily Buckus
50, Epsom, NH
Uncle Abe
64, Altoona PA
Rosemarie Voigt
62, Elk River
Frances Dawson
40''s, Long Beach, Ca
Margueritte L. Curtis
70, Dale City, VA
Samuel Thomas (Tom) Beld
56, Madison, WI
Elaine Courtney Fleming
51- Passed Away 09/11/2009, Melbourne, Florida
Theron Read
44, Salt Lake City, UT
Carl Gardner
He was in his 60's, Virginia Beach, VA
25, Reseda, CA
Nick Teska writes:
My cousin Jesse who was my best friend died due a blood clot that had traveled to his heart. My cousin and I were at a Halloween party where he twisted his knee severly while dancing. At the time, Jesse was just starting out his own concrete pumping business which he and his parents had poured their life savings and a second mortgage into, and he was not yet making any kind of money from the business due to just starting out; As a result, he was unable to afford health insurance for himself due to the high cost of purchasing insuarance. Jesse tried for two straight weeks for someone to look at his knee and have an MRI done, but nobody would look at him because he had no insurance and he just kept getting shuffled around. Well, Jesse finally did get an MRI for his knee scheduled,...too bad it was 5 days after he was already dead from the bloodclot that had formed in his knee. My aunt and Uncle left the house to get him dinner and came home to find him dead in front of the television playing his Xbox. I myself had talked to him 45 minutes before my Uncle called me to let me know that Jesse had been rushed to the hospital because his heart had stopped. The last thing we talked about was going out for my birthday the following weekend. My Aunt is now stuck with paying off his concrete pump, his truck for the pump and the second mortgage they took out. None of us had money to bury Jesse and it took 3 straight weeks of fundraising before we could get him a proper burial. My aunt (who is 59) is currently working 7 days a week to pay off the above listed. She should have the truck paid off this year hopefully. My Uncle (who is 62) is no longer capable of working and is on permanent disability due to having severe health complications, of which he had a major surgery for a month prior to my cousin's passing. It is a good thing my Uncle was a Vietnam Vet had the VA to cover his medical expenses, or my Uncle would not be here either....if only his son would have had the same type of coverage. I can still remember my Uncle crying out that it should have been him who was dead and cried to God to take him (my Uncle) instead of his son, upon learning that his one and only son was dead. My cousin left behind heartbroken family and at the time, a 5 year old daughter. He was only 25. Jesse's daughter will never be able to see her daddy in this lifetime again because a basic necessity, a public service of our great nation has fallen into the hands of greedy and corrupt indviduals who's goal is to exploit our less fortunate and make a profit at their expense. It is an absurd system (regardless of what class of citizen you belong to) who's main focus/primary concern appears to be how much money they can make off you, rather than your well being. It is not right and it needs to stop. Thank you for taking the time to read Jesse's story and my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one due to our faulty healthcare system. I hope one day we will never have to hear stories like the ones being told here again.