GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - During a candlelight vigil Thursday, staff and volunteers of the American Cancer Society signed petitions, urging lawmakers to pass a health care bill that will make treatment affordable.
"We discovered a long time ago as an organization that only by being engaged in advocacy activities and the political process are our constituents going to have a voice," said Mike Lindhout of the American Cancer Society in Grand Rapids.
For now, the American Cancer Society is taking no position on the current bill before Congress.
"One of the things we really focus on is access to care and it means a lot of different things. It needs to be affordable, it needs to be administratively simple," said Lindhout.
Pamela Cook in pleased with her insurance carrier allowing her to focus on beating the disease at Hope Lodge.
"I've had wonderful fellowship, just like tonight, wonderful fellowship with cancer survivors and we've all been touched by it," said Cook.
Cook says lawmakers should come together with the same fellowship as they debate health care reform at the Capitol.
"It really surprises me that they don't. Because we're all in this fight together, and they know of people who have had cancer, or it's touched their family. So I don't understand what the bickering and the arguing is," said Cook.
Organizers say unless there is meaningful reform, recovery and remission from cancer will only be more difficult. Cancer is one of the most costly diseases to treat. The American Cancer Society says they will take a position on President Obama's health care bill just as soon as proposals are vetted and there are more specifics on the table.
In your voice
