Recognition and rest in peace for Ady Barkan, who was a well-known activist who campaigned for Medicare for all despite suffering and because of suffering with ALS, which is a terminal neurogenerative disease, he died. He was 39 years old. [00:00:16] This was from his wife who posted on his Instagram page saying, excuse me, his Twitter saying hi, this is Ady's wife, Rachel. I'm devastated to share the news that Ady has died from complications of ALS. You probably knew Ady as a healthcare activist, but more importantly, he was a wonderful dad and my life partner for 18 years. [00:00:36] Now I think it's just really important to stop down and remember that this is someone who has been arrested multiple times in the halls of Congress, standing with other disability rights folks who are standing for not just protecting Medicare, but expanding it to all people. And he and others who have terminal illness, who need long-term care, [00:00:55] know that it is literally impossible to survive or live a quality life, to be able to have 18 years with your partner and have two children. If you need constant round-the-clock care, you have to be rich. You have to be wealthy to do that. [00:01:12] He was not. His family was not. They are raising funds now to help in memory of Ady Barkan. So there is a GoFundMe. I'll just throw that up here and it's remembering -Ady. [00:01:27] So Ray, just any thoughts on this? I mean, of all the people you would imagine fighting for Medicare for all, like someone who has lost all use of their limbs, their voice, someone who's suffering, if this is true, he was truly a hero. [00:01:46] >> Speaker 2: Absolutely, and I think that a lot of people when they think of the disabled community, they sort of paint a picture. People who are not involved with disability rights organizing people who maybe don't have anyone in their family that is involved in the disability [00:02:02] rights movement, they think of a tacit group of people who are suffering. But in my experience as a disabled person protesting for disability rights, working in disability rights advocacy, they're some of the people who are most willing to do civil disobedience. [00:02:18] They're the people who are most willing to hit the streets because they have to become, out of necessity, advocates for themselves. We have to become our own best advocates because oftentimes no one else is gonna do it for us. Ady was a giant in the community and this is a devastating loss. So I implore anybody who has the means, [00:02:35] who's able to contribute to the GoFundMe, please do. If you don't, totally understandable. Please share the link because some people in your network might be able to contribute. So in any way that you can give back, please do. And remember that the disability community is [00:02:53] on the front lines of the fight for Medicare for all, not just tacit supporters of it, but leaders in this movement. And Ady will be missed definitely. >> Yeah, and everyone should go back and watch some of his interviews. [00:03:12] He's just an incredible thinker on all this. And again, he's fighting for not just himself and others in the disabled community, but all of us. And let's take up this mantle, right? Anyway, thank you so much, Ady, for all of your work, rest in power. [00:03:29] [MUSIC]