Spring Break
Failed health care policies become death sentence
Bill Bradford
Issue date: 2/26/09 Section: Forum
George W. Bush killed my brother. Okay, admittedly that was a stretch. A more likely culprit is a combination of the failed policies of the Republican Party, the spinelessness of the Democratic Party and some bad choices my brother was forced to make in his life.
On Friday, February 13, my brother David passed away in his sleep in Albany, Oregon. He was only 45 years old.
He originally got his bachelor's degree in geology in 1986, and many people on campus knew him when he attended OSU from 2005 to 2007 to earn a master's degree in geographic information systems. He worked for OSU's College of Education, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences and served as the chair of the OSU Commission on the Status of Individuals with Disabilities (COSID). At the time of his death, he was a temporary employee of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
I now have the sad task of hosting his memorial at the OSU Alumni Center on March 1.
I will not go much further in his biography, because it would be unfair for me to use my position as a columnist to write an obituary when the same privilege is not available to other students. I only provide this brief sketch to elaborate on the introduction.
My brother had some health issues. He and I shared the same disability: a form of dwarfism inelegantly labeled diastrophic dysplasia. In addition to short stature, it often comes with a host of other problems, including degenerative joints, curvature of the spine and sleep apnea. My brother had all three.
As a result of his disabilities, he had chronic pain issues and could never get a good night's sleep. He studiously maintained his weight by watching his diet and exercising as best as he was able, and also endured many surgeries as a child to straighten his legs and correct ankle problems. But as he got older, his problems grew worse and more painful.
What does this all have to do with politics and personal choice? Three words: universal health care.
On Friday, February 13, my brother David passed away in his sleep in Albany, Oregon. He was only 45 years old.
He originally got his bachelor's degree in geology in 1986, and many people on campus knew him when he attended OSU from 2005 to 2007 to earn a master's degree in geographic information systems. He worked for OSU's College of Education, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences and served as the chair of the OSU Commission on the Status of Individuals with Disabilities (COSID). At the time of his death, he was a temporary employee of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
I now have the sad task of hosting his memorial at the OSU Alumni Center on March 1.
I will not go much further in his biography, because it would be unfair for me to use my position as a columnist to write an obituary when the same privilege is not available to other students. I only provide this brief sketch to elaborate on the introduction.
My brother had some health issues. He and I shared the same disability: a form of dwarfism inelegantly labeled diastrophic dysplasia. In addition to short stature, it often comes with a host of other problems, including degenerative joints, curvature of the spine and sleep apnea. My brother had all three.
As a result of his disabilities, he had chronic pain issues and could never get a good night's sleep. He studiously maintained his weight by watching his diet and exercising as best as he was able, and also endured many surgeries as a child to straighten his legs and correct ankle problems. But as he got older, his problems grew worse and more painful.
What does this all have to do with politics and personal choice? Three words: universal health care.
Note: writers will not reply to comments.
Be the first to comment on this story
Comments by registered users are approved by default.