Thread by @BornToBeMighty

Four years ago, Donald Trump became president and started trying to take away my health care.

I had never gotten involved with politics, past voting and sometimes talking with friends, but some things are just too important to stay silent about.

Thread 1/

So I started speaking out. I’m an extreme introvert with stage fright, but I wrote, I called, I rallied, and I protested. I recorded videos, I spoke at press events, I gave interviews, and I even had in-person meetings with elected officials. 2/ westword.com/news/rachel-wa…

For four years, I have shared my story.

How I was born with a pre-existing condition and spent my life fighting to get health care. How I was desperately sick but couldn’t get treatment because of denied insurance claims. How this taught me I didn’t deserve to be healthy. 3/

I’ve talked about trying to ration EpiPens because they were so expensive to replace. I’ve shared how I laid on a bed in urgent care with my throat swelling shut and begged the doctor not to call an ambulance because I couldn’t afford it. 4/

I’ve spoken honestly about how our health care system dehumanized me and how I believed it. Over and over, I had to share these deeply personal things with complete strangers, because the stakes were just too high for me to not. @ProtectOurCare 4/

Because the Affordable Care Act saved my life.

It took me from barely surviving to thriving. It allows me to work and be part of my community and do things that I love. I’ve gone from barely able to get up a flight of stairs to doing long distance triathlons! 5/

I am a living, breathing, speaking example of the incredible power of accessible health care.

(Before: Extremely underweight, chronic respiratory illness, constant pain and fear.

After: Strong, thriving athlete, managing a local bakery kitchen!) #ProtectOurCare 6/

It really seems like… that should matter. It should matter that millions of lives are at risk should the ACA be overturned.

But it just doesn’t.

Republicans still continue this partisan quest to destroy the Affordable Care Act by any means necessary. 7/

There is still so much work to be done to ensure everyone can access the care health care they need. Who we elect will determine if that work gets done or not.

Donald Trump and his GOP have made it explicitly clear that they will not do that work. 8/

I have spent years scraping together every bit of energy I have to speak out, sharing my personal life, and giving away bits of myself, because when I say “My life is on the line”, it isn’t an exaggeration. 9/

I’m not alone in this. MILLIONS of lives are at stake. So I am begging you one more time, please:

Use your voice and use your vote tomorrow to elect representatives who will fight for EVERYONE’S right to health care. @JoeBiden @Hickenlooper #BidenHarris2020ToSaveAmerica 10/