On Memorial Day, I was driving southbound on Highway 101 when I had a seizure. All things considered, I was fortunate; I have a safe car, and an off-duty patrol officer saw me and shepherded me off the highway. I stopped on an embankment under an overpass, and he helped me calm down and turn off the car while we waited for the Santa Maria Fire Department. The firefighters extracted me safely from the car (which was on quite a tilt) and took me to Marion Regional Medical Facility. The seizure was localized, caused by a brain tumor, not epilepsy, so half my brain was functioning. I would like to thank this off-duty officer and good samaritan; I was able to see my children again because of him. Thank you, sir.
This man’s kindness saved me from immediate danger, but the help I received next came from health-care providers. I am a 71-year-old woman, retired from the public school system, and the good insurance I have through Medicare Medical Supplement gave me affordable access to quality medical treatment. I hope everyone reading will consider the value of quality health care.
I am nothing special, just a person fortunate to have had a good job that was part of a union. But, this frightening moment in my life, and the kindness and care I was shown as a result, has made clear to me not only how fortunate I am, but also how unjust it is that so many people go without the same basic care. The hardworking people who replace and repair things around my house deserve more. The people who maintain our cars and serve our meals at restaurants deserve more.