David Lawrence Bowers
1958 – 2004

My son died at the age of 46, with a healthy body, heart, muscles, eyes, ears, and internal organs. The only thing that he needed health care for was the severe asthma attacks and recurrent pneumonia caused by allergies to many plants and a few foods. His asthma and pneumonia illness started when he was 18 months old. During his childhood he was on a special diet and took many allergy shots to combat the attacks. He had appropriate health care then. But in his years as an adult, he battled the problems with sporadic doctor visits and medications that he could afford, as well as making do, working while ill, and resting as he could.

The last day of his life he was in an area of the city that was windy – it was spring and pollens were swirling around in the breeze outside. He had been suffering from pneumonia again, for about a two or three weeks, and been resting a lot, but not gaining on the illness since he did not have prescribed medicines or access to a doctor.

He had purchased a Blue Cross Health Plan when he first came to this area five years before, but could not continue the payments because of the high deductible and finally dropped the plan. Without any sign of health insurance he had to resort to going to the Emergency Room for emergency care. He almost died several times and got to the hospital just in time. He always thought that he could conquer the breathing problem by himself, or wished that he could. He could not.

The day that he died he had just been sitting on the couch reading to his two-year-old great niece. Suddenly my daughter noticed that David wanted to lay down and sleep. He fell on the floor, saying that he just needed to sleep, and do not call 911 as he hadn’t paid for the last time he had been to the ER. He died right there. They did call 911, but it was too late. The paramedics tried very hard to resuscitate him, and finally lost him for good when they drove into the parking lot of the hospital.

The world lost someone who would have been a great and wise old man that would have been able to be a leader for peace and togetherness in later years. He was already wise beyond his years and experiences. After his death many people confided to the family how much he had helped them with his counseling, guidance, tolerance, and small bits of money to help some get back home to their families. He owned a coffee shop where people from many different walks of life gathered.

The Minister of our church said that we should only plan for a few people at his Memorial Service – the church was quietly filled to overflowing that day.

Just think of the many, many wise old men and women that we have lost through this lack of health care. Many of their stories have not been told, but the pain is still sharp for all their families.

Carolyn Neuman
Morro Bay, Ca.

PRAYER FOR THE HOME

Peace unto our house, We pray,
Keep terror and despair away:
Shield it from evil and let sin
Never find lodging room within.
May never in these walls be heard
The hateful or accusing word.

Grant that its warm and mellow light
May be to all a beacon bright,
A flaming symbol that shall stir
The beating pulse of him or her
Who finds this door and seems to say,
Here ends the trials of the day.

Hold us together, gentle Lord,
Who sit about our humble board:
May we be spared the cruel fate
Of those whom hatreds separate:
Here let love bind us fast, that we
May know the joys of unity.

Lord, this humble house we’d keep
Sweet with play and calm with sleep.
Help us so that we may give
Beauty to the lives we live.
Let Thy love and let Thy grace
Shine upon our dwelling place.
By Edgar A. Guest

(This poem was found tucked into
pages of Magdelena Neuman’s Bible.)