Last week when the government re-opened, thousands of furloughed employees who were struggling to get by without a paycheck rejoiced. I celebrated for another reason -- because thousands of people like me with cancer will be able to resume treatment and clinical trials through the National Institutes of Health.
I
started a petition on Change.org when the government shut down shortly after I
applied to enter a clinical trial for my cancer that was federally funded. Over
150,683 people signed -- including you -- giving a voice to people like me who
were directly impacted by the shutdown.
Thanks
to you and everyone who signed, my story was highlighted by news outlets like
Reuters, The Washington Post, MSNBC and the BBC. By lifting up the
voices of those who were hit hardest by the government shutdown, you and I contributed
to the national outrage that pressured our nation's leaders to reach a deal and
reopen as quickly as possible.
When
this began, I thought I would be lucky to gather a few hundred signatures. To
watch my petition grow into the tens of thousands was truly humbling. Now that
the government has reopened, my hope is that the cancer patients who were
waiting to receive treatment from the NIH have not been compromised and are
soon able to acquire the assistance they desperately need.
I hope
this episode will lead to more political cooperation and that politicians will
begin to put the American people first. Thank you so much for helping my voice,
and the voices of other cancer patients, be heard.
Michelle
Langbehn
