After 6,808 miles, 30 cities, and 5 weeks on the road, the Drive for Our Lives bus is headed home.
Throughout this journey, we’ve heard stories from hundreds of everyday Americans—ones who just want to be able to provide their families the care they need to get by and stay healthy.
We started the tour on the West Coast in California. In Sacramento, we met Charis, who is battling ankylosing spondylitis, a disease that causes painful inflammation throughout the body and can completely fuse the spine into a single fragile column of deformed bone.
“I’m afraid to lose access to my medications because of cuts to Medicaid. My future will look grim. If federal funding for MediCal is cut, it wouldn’t just harm me, but all of us.”
When we stopped in Missouri, we heard from Wayne, a small business owner who was able to take the risk and open his own business—even though his wife was pregnant—thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
“I think as a country we can share health risks so folks can take on business risks, create jobs, and grow the economy. Business owners are valued in our country not because we’re any different or special, but because we’re willing to take on extreme risk to start a new venture. Risk is what keeps us up at night. But you’ll find many entrepreneurs with family are refusing to risk their family’s health in order to make more money. Without the Affordable Care Act, without the subsidies, essential health benefits and patient protections, I would not have been able to start this business.”
In Memphis, Tennessee, we met Faith, who relies on Planned Parenthood for access to contraception.
“Planned Parenthood has kept me on my birth control. They’ve given me my yearly exams and they’ve answered any and all questions that I’ve had. I do not want to go back to a time when women can’t access lifesaving birth control.”
New Jerseyans are taking action, too. In West Orange, we met Reverend Miguel Hernandez, a faith leader in the community who has seen the impact of the Affordable Care Act on his community.
“We need a lot of light. Light produces life—and that’s what health care is all about.”
Across the country, people are fighting tooth and nail to protect our care, and we’re ready to continue fighting alongside you.
Like Save My Care on Facebook to read more stories from the road—then, share your own health care story here.
