I'm Wrapped In Red


 Hello to all the supporters for 
The Red Cross in Kentucky

 "Wrapped In Red Gala"

 I have a story to tell you, 
 I know your focus is
 on disaster relief 
and for that we are all grateful.
I'd like to know where our disaster relief is?
Tom & Lisa Austin
Brown-Forman Corporation
The Gheens Foundation
Marshall & Mimi Heuser
The Humana Foundation
Metro United Way
Norton Healthcare
Bill & Jill Howard
LG&E
Dan & Mary Rivers
Sam Swope Auto Group
Thorntons Inc.
UPS
 I am Kathi Kerr, I live in Kentucky.
 I will show up to your event this March 15th,
 dressed in my blood soaked wedding 
gown, is that ok? 
I thought it would be a good way 
to shed light on the forgotten victims 
of Hepatitis C,
 from the tainted blood supply,
 in 1984 I had a transfusion 
in Fort Lauderdale -Hollywood 
Memorial hospital. 
Infected with the Hepatitis C Virus,
 I was 29 years old, and had no idea
 what hepatitis c was. 
I was finally diagnosed in 1992. 
When I was suffering debilitating 
nausea and severe fatigue. 
I had just been married in 1989,
 my only husband was also devastated 
that I had this life threatening disease.
 My youngest child was five years old 
when I began taking Interferon shots.
 The side effects made daily life
 impossible for me to handle,
 I fell down a small flight of stairs
 at work while I was on treatment,
herniating the disks in my lower back
 and have been disabled ever since 
1994.
 My husband gave me the shots four
different rounds of Interferon's and
 pills, totaling two years time. 
My children lived with me and I turned
 into a monster because I could not
 stand any noises, 
TV stereo or just talking to each other.
 My husband could no longer reach me, 
I was too far gone and did not know it.
Before this diagnosis I worked three jobs
 to ensure my children had the things 
they needed.
I was a waitress / bartender, an artist,
 and I cleaned peoples homes .
I had my first child when I was fifteen
 years old, and I kept her.
I had two tubal pregnancies one which
 almost killed me in Florida.
 The time I had the blood transfusion.
A miracle happened during the second
 tubal pregnancy, 
I was home in Kentucky and a wonderful
 Doctor did the operation and saved my
 tube, as I had requested.

In 1987 I gave birth to my second child.
 They were both born in April, 
with sixteen years age difference.
 I had feared my youngest daughter 
had contracted the Hepatitis C Virus 
from me invitro for many years
The pain of wondering was excruciating
In 2003 my Hepatitis C Virus
 was killing my
 liver it was killing me, 
so I opted for more treatments,
 I would not give up until I had too.
My husband told me he would not be a 
part of this again, 
so we parted ways,
  I gave myself the horrific shots for
 another four years,
 I was alone, 
my children would do the grocery
 shopping and pay my bills with my
 checks because it was all I had
 as income I have SSI and
 seventy five dollars a week from 
workman's compensation 
My husband deserted me 
when I needed him the most,
 I get no support.
 but I realize today that he wasn't 
nearly as
 strong as I am.
 I never could stand a weak man anyway.

 My Grandmother 
Vera Hazel Snyder-Hoke  
was a "RED CROSS" volunteer
 for over 75 years of her life, 
She was like my own mother 
in many respects.
My mentor in life, 
In her last years, she sat with hospice
 people and held their hands and 
comforted them 
while they were passing away.
 I adored her strength 
and her unconditional love 
for all that
 needed her.
When she was put in a nursing home in
 Branson Missouri
I was taking Pegasys shots and 
Copegus pills, traveling there was 
impossible, and my beloved
 Grandmother passed away, 
with no one holding her hand 
or comforting her.
 Thanks Red Cross 
for being there?
 I lost her, but kept taking the horrible
 treatments until 2007 I was finally
"SVR" Sustained viral Response
  Active Hepatitis C was undetected 
in my blood.
The mental and physical damage
 is significant today
Thyroid is damaged, central nervous
 system is rearranged 
Stage 3/4 Cirrhosis does not cure itself 
or keep me from developing liver cancer.
 awful shooting pains from now where.
Walking, concentrating, driving, is a task 
my life has been greatly affected 
because of the disease 
and the side effects from the drugs,
 the mental anguish every single day.
I developed breast cancer in 2010
from my immune system being kept so
 low taking all of these treatments.
 I thank God I'm alive, I talk to
 thousands of people suffering the same 
thing in their lives, and try to help them
 understand how to empower themselves 
when this tragedy has happened.
Many suffer the stigma associated with 
blood borne viruses
and are stigmatized by the general population.
This keeps them in silence and hiding.


Today Gilead Pharm's  have a new
 treatment with no shots for others.
 That is the prayer we have all been
 waiting to be answered.
 Their campaign ad TV commercials 
states we may have forgotten about 
our illnesses.
Excuse Me?
Who Forgot?
 Did the CDC, Red Cross, and 
The Veterans forget too?

It is true, medical, dental, procedures
people that have tattoo's, 
people that have used drugs
 intravenously,
 people that have been subjected to
 medical malpractice by reusing
 contaminated scopes and needles,
air gun vaccinations.

 Gay men that may have unprotected 
sex, with other men.
 Especially in the prison population,
 it is estimated forty percent of all 
criminals in prison 
have the Hepatitis C Virus.
Snorting cocaine from contaminated 
dollar bills or other utensils like straws.
 I am very relieved Gilead 
has found this cure, 
but I am equally enraged 
the CDC and other prime 
targeted TV commercials 
were saying nothing about our 
Military Veterans that were given
 vaccines with air guns, infected with
 Hepatitis C Virus.
they too have
 been dealing with this 
AMERICAN TRAGEDY.
While the government did nothing
 to make them aware 
or try to save them.

In America at the very least, 
15,000 people die every year 
from liver failure directly associated 
from the Hepatitis c virus.

In 1991 The Red Cross is finally
able to identify
 the virus in their blood supply

 In 2012 the CDC recommends all 
baby boomers get tested

Hey:  Center For Disease Control 
 where is your commercial?

Hey: Red Cross Blood Supply
where is your commercial?

Hey: Veteran Soldiers 
all across America,
 you fought for our freedom?
Where is your commercial?

A quarter of a million people 
have suffered and
 silently died 
due to your negligence 
and uncaring hearts
until profit from the new drug makes you
 Billionaires.
 Yes here it is again America, that 
almighty dollar has prevailed again.
 How do you like me now?

 I will scream it to the world for you
all that have been silenced
Thank you God
Proud to be Vera Hokes Granddaughter
Kathi Kerr

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