While the GOP races to see if they can ??? ??secure the votes to pass the Senate's version of the American Health Care Act, aka "TrumpCare," more people are adding their voices to the call for the bill's defeat.
The bill, if passed, would have a profound -- and devastating -- impact on the poor, elderly, and people with disabilities -- via cuts to Medicaid and would endanger coverage for those with pre-existing conditions while giving massive tax cuts to the wealthy.
SEE ALSO: Senate reveals detested health care bill, and LORDY Trump just tweeted about Comey tapesAmong those opposing the bill is Ken Norton, a former product manager at Google who is now a partner at Google Ventures.
On Monday, Norton shared a heartbreaking thread on Twitter that centered around his son Riley, who died as a result of a heart defect in 2014 and how the 11-year-old's story applied to the current health care bill debate.
"Here’s the thing: there are no 'healthy' and 'sick' people. Healthy people can turn into sick people really fucking suddenly," Norton wrote on Twitter.
His public story about personal tragedy brings to mind Jimmy Kimmel's own take on the health care debate, which he discussed on air last month while sharing the story of his infant son's difficult birth.
Read Norton's full Twitter thread:
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2/ First, please meet my son Riley. He was smart and funny and happy. He died at 11 years old in 2014 and I miss him so much. pic.twitter.com/VoeSuYYWmk
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
3/ Riley was born with a preexisting condition in 2003: a severe heart defect. Nobody knew ahead of time, it was a surprise
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
4/ Fortunately we had excellent healthcare through my job. For the next 11 years, *nothing* was more important to me than having coverage
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
5/ His multiple heart surgeries and hospitalizations rang up more than $3 million in bills, all of which were paid by my insurer...
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
6/ Who came through my employer and was required to cover me, and could not deny him due to preexisting condition. No annual or lifetime max
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
7/ Here are a few examples, that folder is filled with them. Other than a $100 copay for each hospitalization, note the NO MEMBER COPAY. pic.twitter.com/FvR6el00om
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
8/ We got 11 ½ years with Riley because the very best doctors in the world did everything they could for him, without regard for cost.
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
9/ We focused on giving him a happy life instead of bankruptcy, GoFundMes, or taking second or third jobs that would take us away from him.
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
10/ Even then, our lives were upended. I wanted to start a company, or join a very early stage startup. I could not risk losing coverage.
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
11/ Nor could I purchase it myself due to his preexisting condition. Even the 18 months of COBRA scared the hell out of me.
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
12/ When a family member is this severely sick, even the tiniest chance of going without health coverage is terrifying and means bankruptcy
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
13/ But here’s the thing: there are no “healthy” and “sick” people. Healthy people can turn into sick people really fucking suddenly.
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
14/ Riley was fortunate to be born into a family that had good jobs with top-notch health insurance. There’s nothing special about us.
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
15/ The ACA offered that to *everyone* It wasn’t perfect, and it needs fixing. Everyone agrees with that.
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
16/ But I’m here to tell you that there is no “us and them” no responsible taxpayers and irresponsible moochers, we are them and they are us
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
17/ Nobody should ever have to endure what Riley did, but if and when we do, we deserve the best care available...
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
18/ ...and the promise that our society stands with us ready to help
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
19/ I don’t want a tax cut. I want everybody to have what we had. Because we are humans. Fin. I love you kid. 💚 pic.twitter.com/gzPmjjnOqH
— Ken Norton (@kennethn) June 26, 2017
Just a few hours after Norton shared his story, the Congressional Budget Office announced its findings that 22 million people would lose their health insurance by 2026 -- 15 million of those by 2018 -- under the Senate's proposed bill.
Speaking to Mashable, Norton said, "I've had it in the back of my mind to share for a while, but hadn't been able to make the leap. The final straw came from reading [Republican Wisconsin Senator] Ron Johnson's comments over the weekend comparing having a preexisting condition with being a bad driver."
Whereas Johnson used an absolutely terrible analogy to defend his position, Norton's story highlights the dangers of removing protections for those with pre-existing conditions and how suddenly illness can strike and affect anyone.
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