Clark campaign on health care…
This was probably one of the more moving campaign emails I can remember receiving…
This week, Tarryl and I are celebrating my 49th birthday. It is my first 49th birthday, and I haven’t completely decided whether it will be my last 49th birthday. I may decide to have a few more before I’m ready to admit to being fifty. You know, try it on and see if it fits.
By coincidence, it is also the anniversary of starting my first full-time job after graduating from law school and passing the bar exam. That job marked the first time we had family health insurance.
Like far too many working families today, we did not have family health insurance coverage before that time. And while Tarryl had an individual policy through her work, it offered no maternity coverage. We went through our first pregnancy, Colin’s birth, and his first 3 months of life without health insurance. During that time, we struggled to pay for the cost of doctor visits, hospital stays, and routine tests – we even had to pre-pay for Colin’s birth.
We lived with the fear of unexpected illness or injury. Without family insurance, a car accident or injury while playing a pick-up basketball game could have spiraled us into massive debt. God blessed Colin with good health, as even minor health problems for him would have been far beyond our ability to pay. Any major accident or illness would have driven us into bankruptcy, and possibly destroyed our family. We lived through that time on faith and prayer and hard work.
I have thought about that part of our lives many times over the years as I have watched Tarryl fight for working families, senior citizens, children, and veterans. In her years as an advocate at the Capitol, and as a State Senator, Tarryl has been a strong voice for extending health care coverage. I am proud to see the fruit of her efforts, and many others, help tens of thousands of Minnesotans get decent health care insurance, and maintain that insurance through difficult economic times.
We need Tarryl’s energy and commitment at the national level. As our representative in Congress, Tarryl will continue her work to extend health care coverage to those who need it and help make health care more affordable and stable for those who have it. No one should have to worry about how to provide basic care for their family, like we did.
With your help, Tarryl can take her passion and commitment all the way to Congress, where she can continue to speak out for meaningful health care reform, and work to make sure it works for every Minnesota family.
But it will take a commitment from you, too: a commitment to fighting for the issues we share, a commitment to getting the message out, and a commitment to being a part of this campaign.
You can show your commitment today by making a donation of $20.10 to our campaign. Your support is all I’m asking for this birthday.
With your help, Tarryl can take this critically important fight for affordable, accessible health care all the way to Congress.
Sincerely,
Doug Clark
