By Renee Griffin
On May 27 at 8:30 a.m. I received a call from my best friend, Bonnie Kelly, who was having problems breathing. She wanted me to go to her house, pick up her roommate and meet her at Cache Creek Gas Station across from the casino on Route 16. That was 50 miles and it would take at least an hour. I asked her to call 911, but it just upset her, so I picked up her roommate and we where on our way.
Bonnie had gone to the Bay Area to visit a friend and her daughter met them as well. She was on her way back from this visit when all this happened.
When we got to her, there were firemen and police everywhere. We told the police that we were there to pick her up, but we could see she was receiving CPR. Police told us that the firemen had to break the window to her truck to get her out. I asked how she was and they said she was in critical condition. We went to the hospital which took 30 minutes and gave as much medical information as we could about her.
Then, just what we didn”t want to hear, “I”m sorry, but your friend Bonnie has passed away.” The doctor came out and talked to us and said they did all they could and so did the firemen, but she was probably dead when they got her out of the truck, but still had some signs of life.
She was 62 years old and would have been 63 Sept. 11. You see, she didn”t want to call 911 because she had no medical insurance and she sought out her friends to help instead because of the expense of the emergency room. The cost could vary from $800-$1,000 and that cost Bonnie her life. A few more years and she would have had Medicare!
These are the stories that are happening to the pre-elderly and the elderly and many others. We live in a country where people do not care about us anymore and that is more than sad. We live in a country where the system is just falling apart. I have medical insurance and I have had my check cut twice and I guess we shouldn”t have help for our eyes, teeth or feet (for those who are diabetic) they have cut that out for us, too. Where do I go?
Renee Griffin
Clearlake
