Tribute for Colleen

The sculpting/doll making world has lost another beloved artist, Colleen Burson.  Colleen had struggled for so long, making hand made soap and selling it to make ends meet. The following is what I have been told about Colleen's illness and subsequent death.

 Last week Collen died from complications from the flu. Because she had no health insurance, she didn't seek medical care for the first several days of her illness. Finally, last Monday, she went ER.  There, she was told to take Tylenol and drink plenty of fluids and was sent home. On Tuesday, she was having difficulty breathing and went back to the hospital. On Thursday, a nurse went into her room to check on her and found her cyanotic (blue). It was too late.  Colleen died from sepsis (an infection that had spread throughout her body). Had she been put on antibiotics during her first visit, she may have survived.  Antibiotics will not kill a virus, but they will kill bacterial infections.  I wonder if the ER doctors even bothered to order a chest X-ray. She probably had pneumonia as a secondary infection, which then led to the sepsis.

People have fought Obama Care. They think it will lead to socialism, which will then lead to communism.  Countless people from other countries have written posts on Facebook, telling of illnesses and hospital admissions that have been completely covered by their country's universal health insurance.  The U.S. lags behind, with the poor dying from illnesses as though we are a third world country.  They don't seek care during the onset of an illness because they can't afford it. In this country money and wealth selects who will survive.

Colleen, though a poor girl, was rich in friends. She touched the lives of so many with her positive attitude, wisdom and spirituality.   She touched my life as we shared our thoughts on faith and religion.

Colleen had finally found a job in a dental office. She was getting her life together and finally could get new eye glasses and tires for her car. She had been wearing reading glasses over old prescription glasses to see. I know this because she told me so during a phone conversation several months ago.  She proclaimed this new year, 2013 to be her year. 

Please wake up America. Universal health care is not evil. It is not communism. It is being compassionate and human!

Colleen, you are free now. No more struggles, no more illness. You will never hurt again.  We love you sweet girl.