Main Story: Firefighters Rally to Support Victims of Hepatitis C
To all the thousands of you who are assembled here, thank you for coming. We have with us at this march not only hundreds of Philadelphia firefighters, but fire, rescue and ambulance personnel from all over the East Coast - and beyond.
Barbara Hafer addresses the crowd in front of the Liberty Bell
Photo by Kevin Turner/Firehouse.Com
| |
We are gathered here at this most powerful symbol of the American ideal, the Liberty Bell. We gather at this silent bell to call on the American people to break the silence over the scourge of Hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C is a stealth epidemic, one that is sweeping this nation, infecting millions, aided and abetted by silence - and by misinformation, ignorance and fear.
As someone who started her career as a public health nurse, I remember - as I'm sure many of you do - when, silence and ignorance kept us from confronting cancer. When the word "cancer" was whispered, if it was spoken at all.
The great strides we have made in treating cancer have come as a direct result of our willingness to confront the reality of the disease. And in confronting cancer, we discovered something very important: We discovered that some workers, in some occupations, are more at risk than others, through no fault of their own!
The same is true of Hepatitis C. Yes, there are irresponsible behaviors, like intravenous drug use, that can cause Hepatitis C. But it is just as true that many other victims have contracted Hepatitis C through a very different kind of behavior: Heroic behavior.
The kind of heroic behavior that is a job requirement for each and every one of you; the kind of heroic behavior that is expected of you, in the line of duty: Giving first aid to bleeding victims at accident scenes, carrying the injured from burning buildings, resuscitating heart-attack victims, and, Yes, even delivering babies.
In fact, I think we need a new name for Hepatitis C. I think we ought to call it: Hero's Disease! Because that's who so many of its victims are - heroes who contracted this disease while saving the lives of others. And those heroic victims of Hepatitis C are entitled to just as much compassion, just as much support, as we routinely provide to those firefighters and rescue personnel who suffer other injuries in the line of duty.
We know there are those who still refuse to accept that fire and rescue workers contract Hepatitis C at higher rates than the rest of the population. It may take more action and more studies to convince them. And clearly the place to start is with a comprehensive screening program, so we can know for certain the full extent of this epidemic.
But the debate over infection rates should not be allowed to obscure the real issue. Whatever the precise statistics may be, the fact is, thousands of fire and rescue workers suffer from Hepatitis C because they are fire and rescue workers. Because they did what they had to do to save lives. Because they are heroes. No other reason.
And to all the fire, rescue, ambulance and medical personnel - not just those of you who are here today, but all of you, all across America, I say this: If you contracted this terrible disease because you were protecting us, then I say, on behalf of the American people, we owe you - a lot.
We owe you screening. We owe you Workers Compensation. We owe you medical care. The best of medical care.
Let us end the era of silence, starting today. Let the plain truth ring out, starting here at the Liberty Bell. Let all Americans say: "We know you are heroes. We know you have contracted this disease because you took heroic action to save lives. And we are going to care for you, just as you cared for one of us in our moment of need."
Thank you and God bless you.
Also Current:
news & reports
