Catherine Edwards

Catherine Edwards, 54, Carthage, Illinois, is a divorced mother of two children, Renee, 21, and Douglas, 15. She worked as a machine operator for an automobile parts manufacturer until she was laid off from this position. While she had the option of continuing to receive health coverage under COBRA, she was unable to afford the monthly payments since her only source of income was her unemployment check. Although she was officially terminated by the company a few months after the layoff, she has recently returned to their assembly line as a temporary employee. In this position, she is ineligible for benefits. Cathy's two children are fortunate to have coverage under their father's policy.

Cathy suffers from a rare disease called Myasthenia Gravis Pseudoparalytica, which severely weakens her muscles and causes extreme fatigue. In some cases, this disease can be life threatening. In all cases, it prevents people from living a normal life. It makes working long hours very difficult. While she is able to receive some care at a local health care clinic, she is not receiving the level of treatment required for the medical management of this disease.

Catherine is not the only member of her family who has been affected by the devastating effects of being uninsured. Her brother, Gale Jones, 59, died after suffering from Crohn's disease and colon cancer. He was uninsured and was unable to receive the treatments he needed to survive.