Living With Cancer: The Right to Self Determination

Yesterday, I watched the funeral of Senator Ted Kennedy. The words used to describe him seemed honest, sincere and from the heart. The most poignant, were his own, written to Pope Benedict, describing his humanness. The senator's family did not use this time to politicize his issues. Rather, his friends, family and colleagues simply acknowledged his hopes and dreams, his strong faith, deep roots in community, and love and devotion to family and the working man. This seemed to me to be the foundation for his life long goal of accessible and equal health care for all.

I listened to his family talk about the courage and strength he demonstrated over the past year and a half while he lived with cancer. They discussed the choices that were made during that time and the resources that were available to them and I realized something. Access to health care is more than someone's wealth, social status, last name or relationship. Access to health care has a lot to do with knowledge, access to resources, ( transportation, hospitals, doctors, computers), and support of people in the community, family or organization. Being diagnosed with cancer, or other life threatening illness, can be paralyzing emotionally and spiritually. Without knowledge, resources, and community, a person potentially loses "choices." That is why I am writing my book; to help people reconnect after a diagnosis, reclaim their power and right to self determination. This Right to Self Determination gives one hope, strengthens one's faith, and connects one to his health care during a challenging storm.

I think this is what Teddy was talking about. Self determination, self respect, preserving the dignity of every human being in this United States in the face of serious illness, that's what Health Care Reform is about...God Bless You, Teddy.