Posted on May 31, 2017
We have been touched by asbestos in individual ways, yet we are joined together by a bond of community. As a testament to the strength of our global family, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is highlighting the courageous stories of our members with the “Share Your Story” feature on our website.
This week, we would like to honor the story of Alfred, shared by his daughter, Chrissy, who is a part of our ADAO family.
We encourage you to submit your personal stories by clicking here and following the simple instructions on the page. In sharing, comes healing. Remember, you are not alone.
“Stole My Father From Me Like A Thief In The Night” – Alfred’s Story
Name: Alfred
Location: New Jersey
Date of Birth: 05/03/1930
Diagnosis: Mesothelioma
Date of Diagnosis: 09/03/2014
Date of Death: 12/29/2014
Treatment: Chemotherapy, Radiation, Pain Management
How has asbestos changed your life? (Shared by his daughter, Chrissy – unedited)
Besides the most obvious, which is stealing my father from me like a thief in the night because of how fast the disease rapidly attacked him, it has opened my eyes to how insanely ridiculous healthcare truly is. I was my fathers caretaker, decision maker, advocate, accountant, lawyer, chef and most importantly, his daughter. The minute his cat scan results came back as asbestos, I came to realize real quick how terrible his insurance was. I had to back door, fight, lie to get him the best treatment anybody could ask for. Because of everything I went through and witnessed, I have created a petition on Change.Org to help pass bill HR 817 into a Federal Law for all states. This bill if passed, will eliminate the excess stress to the patient and their family every time they walk into an Emergency Room. This bill states that in an emergency/trauma situation, when you are visited by an array of doctors, that now, these doctors must introduce themselves to you and let you know if they are in or Out of Network. If these Drs. are Out of your network, the hospital must provide you with an In Network provider. If at that time there are no In Network Doctors, the Out of Network Doctor will now become in network, but the KEY factor to this is that they will no longer be allowed to BALANCE BILL YOU the difference on what they get paid and what they think they are OWED! I am asking for help to please sign and pass my petition to others to be educated and aware of their options.
Click here to sign the petition
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