We the People, by the People

         We the People, by the People.

         These are the words Abraham Lincoln spoke in the last sentence of his famous Gettysburg Address.  In these words, President Lincoln demonstrated he completely understood what the forefathers had in mind when they founded this country.  Last Thursday, I  saw these profound words in action. A beautiful sight, I almost didn’t get to witness.

         I was selected by the Immune Deficiency Foundation, (IDF) to participate in their Advocacy Day. I would share with legislators in Washington DC about ways they could help people with Immune Deficiencies through the healthcare they received.  My prayer for this trip was that it would have purpose.  I didn’t want it to just be a trip I was getting to go on, I wanted it to be a trip that produced meaning, purpose, and somehow, I’d make a difference.

          The first little cloud formed last Monday when I received word that Winter Storm Toby was on the move and it could affect my travel.  I called the supervisor over Advocacy Day. She assured me the event would continue despite the weather.  If my flight was delayed on Wednesday and I couldn’t make the training, they still wanted me to participate in the meetings on Thursday.

         With this information, I decided to continue to move forward with my plans until something changed. I’m a planner and I try my best to make sure everything is in order in advance, so it was difficult not to know if my plans would change. I believe God knew this, because He spoke to me in a special way exactly when I needed it.

 My mom dropped me off at the airport Wednesday morning.   As I was sitting at my gate, I read my devotional, “Jesus Calling,” for that day.  The first line of the passage was, “Trust me and don’t be afraid.”  It was perfect timing too, because about an hour later I received the news my flight was canceled. I was placed on a flight leaving for DC the next morning at 5:30 arriving at the nation’s capital at 6:54 a.m.

 The other possible flights were all later, so I knew it was a miracle I was placed in the only one that could potentially get me to DC in time to be at my meetings, but I still didn’t know if it was possible to participate. 

I called my supervisor once again and explained the situation.  She told me there was a very good chance I would make it to the hotel before my group left. It was obviously up to me if I wanted to try to make it work, but they were hoping I would be a part of the day.

Me on my 5:30 a.m. flight to DC

I decided to try my best to get there.  It was a complete honor to be chosen and I wanted to honor the commitment I made.  I believed God wanted me to have this experience.

I still had hurdles to jump over though. With this flight change, I had

to be up the next morning by 2:45, get completely ready for my meetings, and be at the airport by 3:30 a.m.  Let me tell you something, God never attended for women to curl their hair, apply make-up, and put panty hose on at 3:00 in the morning. 

There was also the fact that things had to run smoothly.  There was no room for error.  My flight needed to leave on time, and land in DC when it was supposed to so I could catch my shuttle to the hotel before my group left.  I was also worried about the fact I was meeting my group right before we left to go to Capitol Hill.  Would I be able to integrate into this group so quickly?  But all along the way, I was reminded to trust God and not be afraid. He had worked everything out so far and He would continue to do so.

Me with the other amazing women in my group.
We all are Ohio Buckeyes and we all have
Primary Immunodeficiencies 

I landed in DC and made it to the hotel without any glitches.  I met my group and quickly saw I had nothing to worry about.  The five other women were so warm and welcoming, making me feel absolutely comfortable even though I had just arrived. 

 We met with the congressional offices of Senator Sherrod Brown, Representative David Joyce, Representative Joyce Beatty, and Senator Rob Portman. I don’t know what I expected to see when I arrived at Capitol Hill, but I was in awe of all the other groups present trying to make their voices heard to their representatives and senators.  Because of this common goal, I felt a sense of unity with every person there.  We all wanted one thing and that was acknowledgment that our passions and beliefs were important.

Me and my IDF crew in front of the congressional
office of Senator Sherrod Brown

The first meeting I just took it all in, trying to gage what my voice would be, but by our third appointment,  I found my voice and an advocate I wasn’t expecting.  This woman had 20 years of experience of working in the government and I was able to share with her how the system wasn’t helping me.  I explained that I physically can work, but the reason for that is because my treatments are keeping me stable.  However, in order to receive my treatments, my insurance needed to be Medicaid.  I told her how in 2013-2014 I tried to sub as an aide.  I figured out how many days a month I could work and still make under the salary requirement so I didn’t lose my insurance.  At the end of the school year, I came within $11 of losing my insurance and had to quit.  The Medicaid I’m eligible for covers my medical costs, but the income I earn through it isn’t livable at all. The woman totally surprised me with her response.  She said there needed to be something where people like me could still obtain insurance for medical care, but be permitted to work and earn a substantial income.  She explained she believed this is why our nation has the poverty it has, because people like me want to work and contribute to society, but the government won’t allow us.

Advocating in the congressional office of
Joyce Beatty

I honestly felt like shouting, “Amen, preach sista!”  But you’ll be happy to know I contained myself.  The last meeting we attended, I felt established and confident. I had found my voice and one of the women in my group confirmed it to me.  She handed me the folders of information that was to be given to the person we were to meet with and said, “Whitney, you’ve found you’re voice.  You take my part this time.” 

Those words made my heart soar, because I saw that my prayers had been answered and this trip had purpose and meaning.  Not only had I found my voice, I realized something very powerful that I needed to see.  For the longest time I have had a negative and jaded outlook on our healthcare system.  The government has put me in a box and put stipulations on how I can advance in life and I don’t believe they should have this right.

Yes, about 50% of the government is corrupt, there’s just no way to get around that fact.  However, what I saw on Thursday, is there’s this whole other 50% who still believe in “We the People, By the People,” and are working for the people’s voices to be heard.  When I arrived in DC, I didn’t have a lot of hope, I was there to do what I could for my IDF community, but for my personal healthcare, change didn’t seem possible. But I left DC with hope.  Hope that change was possible, hope that, “We the People, by the People,” is still the foundation of this nation, and hope that maybe, just maybe I could be one of the people that makes a difference.