I am a Star-Spangled Canadian, with roots on both sides of the border that inform my perspective on politics and especially health care. The bulk of my adventures in health care began when I was in sixth grade, and began to suffer severe knee pain-a battle that continued through until college-and regrettably, it seems that health does not improve with age. Shortly after arriving for my first year of university in Washington, DC, I suffered a severe concussion that was misdiagnosed and poorly treated for several weeks, causing me to lose my memories of a three month period of time.
In 2009, I witnessed the best and worst of the American health care system. In the shadow of the Congressional debate over health care reform, I dealt with a knee realignment surgery and a sinus procedure, while watching from afar as my favorite professor suffered through cancer treatment. Both my problems were resolved with time and good care, while my professor ultimately died after being denied the same kind of quality treatment I received while in hospital. His death, which occurred on my twentieth birthday, gave life to my commitment to fight for equal access to quality care. In his honor, I am proud to wear a jacket for The Walking Gallery called "Media Matters," depicting the importance of television and film in sharing stories of health care.
