American health care has failed Vi Lane. Twenty-six years ago, Lane sold her family's four businesses to pay a 2.5 million dollar hospital bill after the death of her husband Rod who was uninsured. With few resources, Lane, now 69, moved into a rented home near downtown Platte City and has recently taken in her pregnant and uninsured granddaughter Cyndi Perkins with her 18-month-old son Tommy Brown. Though health insurance woes continue to plague them, this unexpected family has brought a sense of cohesion and has filled Vi's home with love.
Vi Lane reaches out to her great-grandson Thomas Brown as they drive through Platte City on Tuesday, September 23, 2014. Lane lost her family's four businesses after the death of her husband 22 years ago, and though the future continues to be unclear, she is grateful for the time with family. | Missouri Photo Workshop
Chicago Freelance Photographer | Alyssa Schukar | Photojournalist