Sometimes Reality Sets In – Follow Up

I covered this story at the begining of the year where we learned of the Caudle family.

A year ago, the Caudles’ story in the Journal Sentinel spread across the Internet, fed by a divisive health care debate that led, at last, to passage of President Barack Obama’s landmark reform bill.

A year later, the issue remains with us. The new law faces challenges in the courts and from the new Republican majority in the House.

Like many Americans, though, the Caudles are not so much debating the health care issue as living it.

Joining the Army was the answer Bill Caudle came up with after getting laid off last year from his longtime job at the plastics company PolyOne. He simply could not find work, and Michelle needed the health coverage. By then she had been fighting cancer for almost three years.

There is now an update to this story, and unfortunately it is not a happy ending. Michelle Caudle recently lost her battle against cancer at the young age of 42.

Unfortunately in the last two years while this story was in the spotlight, we have not advanced as a nation. The politicians still play political games where getting elected trumps representing the people. In the time that the Caudle have been fight this horrific disease, JB Van Hollen declared the Affordable Care Act \"dead\" in Wi, Senator Ron Johnson declared the affordable care act the \"greatest single assault on our freedom\" in our lifetime, and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefish vowed to end \"Obamacare\" (while getting her cancer treated with taxpayer funded cadillac health care benefits) and that is just three local examples. While these three politicians(and others) were receiving thousands of dollars of donations from the health insurance industry, Michelle Caudle was facing the horrible, grueling battle of cancer and Bill Caudle was a country away after joining the army. I truly think these politicians should all have to attend her funeral and look this family in the face. Let them know that their actions have real life consequences.

I hope Michelle has found the peace she so richly deserves and my thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

At least Michelle\'s death should make the \"tea party\" happy, that appears to be the America they envision and are working for.

One last thing:

The Caudle family has asked that memorials in Michelle Caudle’s name be sent to the Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer Alliance, 13825 W. National Ave., Suite 103, New Berlin, WI 53151.

Share:

Related Articles