In August of 2009, I came across a sobering NPR article that read, "For two-and-a-half days, about 800 doctors, nurses, dentists, and optometrists treated 2,700 uninsured and underinsured people, most from Appalachia. No one was asked for an insurance card. There were no co-pays. And there were no bills." The effort was organized through a Tennessee-based group, Remote Area Medical (RAM), and the help was offered at the county fairgrounds in Wise, Virginia. The medical team treated approximately 1600 people on Friday alone.
This part really choked me up:
"'You got the last two tickets!' the guard said. 'For eyes.'
'The last two tickets?' the driver responded. She seemed stunned by the prospect, and she was speechless, at first.
'Ma’am,' the guard said, as the driver simply stared ahead. 'Ma’am,' she said again as another guard joined in. 'Ma’am, we’re trying to tell you what you got.'
Finally, the driver spoke. 'I want to give the two eye [tickets] back because somebody may need them more than me.'"
Amazing selflessness. Put a lump in my throat. In the spirit of giving. In the spirit of gratitude for available help. In the spirit of gratitude for all within us and all around us that is beautiful.
C.A. MacConnell
