Thank you Obama. Because of you,my son is being seen for chronic pain. [View all]

[Mother Of Four]

My 21 year old son went into the Navy a couple years back, he was sent home near graduation due to stress fractures in his knees that weren't healing. Because he didn't graduate, they aren't providing him with followup care.

Fast forward to now, he works his butt off slinging produce. It's not perfect but he's grateful to have a job. The hard work, lifting and bending has aggravated his knees and the pain has started to affect his hips. At 21, he's having to use a cane when he's not working and eats Ibuprofen like it's candy. His insurance at work is actually a supplement program, (and it's laughable) where he has to pay out 5k before it ever starts paying a portion for his appts. He barely has two nickles to rub together and it would be impossible for him to meet the requirement. He makes, and I kid you not, less than 14k a year before taxes. He lives with us because he can't afford not to.

Because of the Health Care Act, I put my son on our Tricare policy under the young adults program. It costs us about 200 dollars a month, but before he couldn't be on it after age 21 unless he was in school. (It ended on his 21st birthday) He see's his other friends struggling with student debt, and doesn't want to go that route to go to school.

When I told my son we could get him taken care of, he laid back in his bed and sighed. He was white from pain, the previous evening he had been coming down the stairs and his leg gave out. Thankfully some friends could come and help me get him back into bed. He refused to go to the ER that night no matter how much we scolded, because he couldn't pay and he is adamant about not letting us get into medical debt over him.

He has pride, and I'm quoting him when I say "I'm supposed to be a man Mama, I feel like I've been stomped on and castrated. If I can't take care of myself, how will I ever take care of anyone else?"

I cried when the Supreme court upheld it, I hugged my son and I'm starting to think things will begin to turn around for him. I was terrified he would end up in a wheelchair before we could get it taken care of.

I just wanted to say "Thank you." For all the naysayers out there, this Act has changed a life for the better. I waited to post his story, because I couldn't bear it if they had struck it down. Now that it's been upheld, the future is much brighter than it was. No more waiting for the other shoe to drop.