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
