Just got off the phone with my college roommate.
His daughter was diagnosed with leukemia in January.
He has insurance. Good insurance. The kind you feel safe having.
7 months later:
Savings: wiped out. 401k: cashed early. Penalties and all. House: refinanced to cover the gaps insurance decided weren’t their problem.
He told me he’s not the same person anymore.
Said watching your child fight for her life while simultaneously fighting an insurance company over coverage codes does something to you that doesn’t go away.
They did everything right.
Two incomes. No debt. Responsible their whole lives.
One diagnosis undid all of it in 7 months.
And somewhere a health insurance CEO is getting a $30 million bonus this quarter.
I don’t know how people defend this system with a straight face.
I really don’t.
indigenous people are still here. black people are still here. colonized people are resilient. even if you kill our people, ban our languages, destroy our homes, heritage sites and artifacts, we will always find a way to keep our cultures alive and that has always been true
don't forget to humanise Palestine. every single individual who has been martyred, is wounded, has lost their home and family. all of them, they have dreams, hopes, fears. they have a favourite colour & a song, a vegetable they hate. they are you & me. not numbers.
Al Jazeera reporter Wael al-Dahdouh:
“We are not fine, body parts are everywhere, missiles are targeting everyone, and the bombing hasn’t stopped for a second.”