After running errands, getting exercise, and driving across town to make St Patrick’s Day crafts with my elderly mom and friends, cooking dinner last Saturday was out of the question.  So naturally, I popped into my favorite neighborhood restaurant, Cafe Soleil, for some delicious Ethiopian cuisine. Every time I walk in the front door of this cozy little place, Kuri, the owner, beams me a knowing smile. “The usual?” I just love her yellow split pea ginger alitcha wet.

I settle into my customary table, a corner nook, just as a waitress strides over. René, 24, works here and holds down another part time job.  She starts thanking me profusely.

A few months earlier, I'd sent her a link to a radio show I’d done encouraging people to explore their new, affordable health insurance options. René listened, signed up, and here she was, raving about what a difference her new coverage was making in her life.  All I’d done was give her a little information and now she was making me feel like a hero.

René told me that having her own doctor allows her the freedom and peace of mind to get out and do more with her life. Now she is prodding her friends to get signed up, “This is for us!”

Listen to René, in her own words, as she shares her empowering story.