Ft. Wayne FOX-TV coverage 7/3/2009 "Take A Hike For Healthcare" Video

http://fortwaynehomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=11901

Reported by: Kristin Mazur

23 cities
25 miles a day

From Chicago to D.C. in a month, Dr. Ogan Gurel is determined to get the voice of the people heard.

Health care is about health and the well being of health care says Gurel.

Last Saturday Gurel set out on foot traveling to cities with health care reform in mind and his notebook in tow.

How am I going to get the voice of the people out? asks Gurel.

Gurel is traveling from city to city talking to folks, hearing their personal experiences with health care, and documenting each story to bring to Washington.

It's a matter of human dignity, a matter of economic strength and as the day before the Fourth of July, it's a matter of human freedom adds Gurel.

Gurel's goal: to draw attention to the nation's need for healthcare reform.

You have to admire that they're taking the time and tenacity to walk and do this type of thing to bring this to the consciousness of the american public says Mike Bynum.

Mike Bynum is a laid-off steel worker. Not having health care is a feeling he knows all too well.

Sometimes you think it's just a single issue but when you have two or three people taking the same issue, then you know there is something out there says Bynum.

Jessica Reynolds came out today with her two sons. She lost her job last year and without health care, stressed constantly over the well-being of her kids.

I thought oh my goodness I need to really take care of them and most importantly to need to be able to keep them healthy says Reynolds.

Keeping healthy is obviously a concern for Gurel on his journey. But what has the worst part been so far?

The blisters...people say put a band-aid on them. There is no band-aid. It's the whole foot blister laughs Gurel.

From Fort Wayne, Dr. Gurel will continue on through Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland before concluding his journey on July 26 in Washington D.C.

You can follow Dr. Gurels journey via his Twitter site, http://twitter.com/Walk4Healthcare or on his blog, http://walk4healthcare.blogspot.com.