Political Quotes

“I rise today to urge all of us to demand mental health parity enforcement in honor of a young man that I once represented, Timothy O'Clair. I first met Timothy when I served in the State Assembly in New York. Timothy played Little League and had a smile and spirit that burned incredibly bright. He played in the chess club and was an avid bowler. Timothy enjoyed gymnastics, playing the piano, fishing, golfing, boating, and drawing. He enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid animal lover. However, Timothy suffered from significant mental health challenges, and his family struggled along with him, fighting with insurance companies to get him the care he truly needed. The insurance companies didn't know the Timothy that I knew. Where we all saw an extraordinary little guy in a fight for his own life, the insurance company saw expenses in a ledger book. They put caps on his care and denied coverage for needed mental health treatment. When Timothy received the care he needed, he thrived. However, his family always knew that those caps and denials of coverage were right around the corner. Things got worse for Timothy. In order to get him the Medicaid coverage he needed, Timothy's parents were forced to legally disown him. Can you imagine being forced to make that decision in your own family? Unfortunately, for Timothy, even that was not enough. At 12 years old, Timothy completed suicide. Timothy's memory will never leave me.…”