I am a father, a provider and an independent voter. My 12- year old daughter is a brain tumor survivor, stroke victim, Type 1 diabetic and celiac disease patient. Needless to say, we access health care a lot. I meet my daughter’s deductible in the first quarter of the year and generally meet my family out-of-pocket maximum by early fall.

I work hard and I am a diligent saver, but my biggest fear is losing everything and going bankrupt if I did not have insurance coverage for my daughter. I supported the Affordable Care Act because it provided an affordable safety net for me if I lost my job or could not work. More importantly, my daughter could not be denied coverage, and I could not be charged more due to her pre-existing conditions.

I realize the ACA is not perfect, but I resent the over 70 attempts to repeal and underfund the law so that we can go back to the days of insurance executives controlling mine and my daughter’s fates.

This is why I am supporting Kathy Manning for my congressional District 13. As the parent of a child with a chronic condition, Kathy understands my fear and wants to enhance our current system so more people are covered and health care is accessible to all.

I encourage your readers to vote in this election and to vote for candidates, like Kathy Manning, who will work together to maintain accessible and affordable healthcare for all.

— Gerry Kilpatrick

High Point