Sondra J.

Los Banos

We were insured. Both my husband and I had good jobs and we had a beautiful home. We thought we had all the bases covered for ourselves and our three kids. But we lost everything. Pretty soon after my husband was diagnosed with colon cancer, he couldn’t work. Then our COBRA ran out, and he was uninsured for the last several months. The bills started piling up. We had to file for bankruptcy. He died without insurance, and I’m still getting bills from the ambulance company and from the doctor who pronounced him dead. Of course it goes without saying that losing your husband, losing your Dad, is the worst. But we also lost everything else, including our healthcare. I work as a bookkeeper, but my kids are uninsured.

I’m too scared to think about the future. I know what could happen, so I try not to think about it.