Millions await Obama's action on health insurance

Ruby Spencer, the uninsured 61-year-old widow from Logan, had surgery in November to remove a massive tumor in her abdomen, which turned out to be benign.

The Inquirer had chronicled how Spencer was bounced from welfare office to emergency room to city clinic, without getting any help.

A reporter referred her to health-law advocates and started asking local officials about her situation, which led to her getting Medicaid and surgery.

"I'll never be able to thank you enough," Spencer wrote in a note recently. "I'm doing very well and I owe it all to you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

Jean Hawk of Tower City, Pa., who cut back on drugs for her kidney transplant after she lost her insurance, was contacted by Social Security after the Inquirer story, and told she likely is eligible for Medicare. (She had been told the opposite before the story.) She was encouraged to apply again, and did so on December 3. She's waiting to hear back.

"I cannot thank you enough for what you did for me," she wrote.

Iyasu Habtemicael - Izzy - was driving a flower truck and working in a parking garage, both part time, and had no health insurance. He nearly died when his diabetes soared out of control. He's now working full time at a University of Pennsylvania garage - with health insurance - and feeling better.

Others received incredible support from readers - notes of encouragement, small cash contributions, and, in a few cases, even worldwide attention.

"I've had some wonderful people write me and wished me well plus a few gifts also," said Dan Daskus, 41, of Minersville, Pa., who got cancer, lost his job and health insurance, and went into debt from medical bills. "I also did an interview with Danish television."

And even the unexpected happened.

Richard Hershman, divorced four times, a former drug addict now receiving methadone, had suffered without health insurance. But he also had lost touch with nearly everyone in his life. His only friend was his dog, Blue.

After the Inquirer story, a group of friends he had known as a boy in West Philadelphia contacted him, and now he goes to their houses for Sunday dinners and watches the Eagles with them. He went over to one rediscovered old friend's house for a Christmas meal.

"Now I have REAL FRIENDS again," he e-mailed. Maybe that's the best medicine of all.

- Michael Vitez

For Michael Vitez's blog and previous stories in this series, go to http://go.philly.

com/uninsured