Ercilia Sandoval's Story

Mother Jones magazine has published a story about Ercilia Sandoval and the Service Employees International Union's struggle to get "Justice for Janitors" in the form of health insurance for its new members.

Ercilia Sandoval's story reveals the plight of the working poor who lack basic health care benefits. Here's a link to a video where she tells her story in her own words. The video is best. It shows her with her young children and recounts their concerns over her illness.

Here's a quote from Mother Jones:

Last September Sandoval began feeling worn out on the job. She scrubbed bathroom fixtures through headaches and fevers, emptied trash cans with sore arms and a tight back. Lacking health insurance, she couldn't afford to see a doctor. Nearly a year passed before she forked over $200 for a consultation. A mammogram confirmed her worst fears: She suffered from advanced-stage breast cancer. Yet hospitals in Houston wouldn't treat her because she was uninsured. She waited two months to be approved for state disability coverage. In June, doctors finally began chemotherapy treatments but say she probably has only a few months to live.

There are literally thousands of stories like Ercilia Sandoval's that remain untold.