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Shouldn’t Everyone Have a Fair Chance?
By Edmond J. Niewinski, Harwinton
I would like to tell you about a loving woman, my wife, Joan. She enjoyed the simple things in life and spending time with her family. We had five births and four adopted children together. My wife, who did not work outside our home due to the fact that we had such a large family, became ill at the age of 53 with emphysema and major heart conditions. Shortly after she was diagnosed with these diseases, I took a bad fall at work, which left me disabled at the age of 55 and out of a job. This was extremely difficult due to the fact that we still had children to raise and bills to pay with very little income.
Unfortunately, with pre-existing medical conditions we were unable to find an insurance company that would provide coverage for my wife at an economical cost. It was either pay a big amount for insurance or care for our children. In order to pay for the doctor, hospital bills, prescriptions, two oxygen machines and tanks of oxygen, we had to spend all our savings. In addition, over $7,000 worth or prescriptions was charged to our credit card. We tried to get assistance with the prescription and medical costs, but it just seemed everyone was too busy to help us.
In March of 2000, my wife woke up in the morning with numbness in her face. Because the numbness didn't go away, we contacted her physician. She went through various tests but the doctors were unable to find what the problem was. As time went by, she began to drop to the floor and couldn't get up. An EMT came to the house and took her to the hospital, at which time we were told she had cancer. The physicians talked about starting treatment but delayed it for days.
One day I entered her hospital room and found someone holding her hand trying to force her into signing Title 19 so she could get the necessary treatments. She was under so many medications, she was out of it and unaware of what was occurring. They continued to try to push my wife into signing the necessary paperwork, as their only concern was getting payment for their services prior to trying to make her well. The cancer spread very quickly through her body. We were told there was nothing that could be done for her. We were even told not to bother calling 911 because there was nothing anyone could or would do for her anymore.
My wife passed away on July 17, 2000 (at age 59) in my daughter's arms. She left behind a family that loved her so much. We continue to wonder how things would have turned out if she had insurance. Now I am caring for our two youngest children—Peter, who is 13, and Kathleen, an autistic 12-year-old—on my own. It has been very difficult and there is not a day that goes by that I do not think about my loving wife, who was such a good mother to her own as well as to many foster children (15-plus). In addition, she was a wonderful wife and friend.
Due to the fact that my wife didn't have medical or life insurance coverage, I was left with no money and extensive funeral and medical expenses. We worked so hard our entire lives to provide a roof over our heads and came very close to losing everything. My only option to stop the various bill collectors was to file for bankruptcy, as there was no way I would be able to keep up with the bills and care for my two children on a fixed income. This is a very stressful time for me (I don't sleep, I shake, and I can't use any of the local doctors or hospitals because of the bankruptcy).
I feel everyone should have insurance coverage available to them that will fit within their budget, even if there is a pre-existing condition. It seems that if you have money there is no problem getting help. Shouldn't everyone be entitled to a fair chance in life?
P.S. — Writing this letter was the hardest thing I have ever done, with much tears and rewriting. I did it for my wife, Joan, in her memory. May it help someone else.
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