Anne Letourneau


Posted by Admin

Anne Letourneau

Anne Letourneau

We must, regretfully, inform you, the Tattlers' faithful, that we will be closing our doors on Tuesday, November 1. Thank you all for your years of patronage and good times. We will miss you.

On the up-side, Tattlers will be hosting it's own 'Irish wake' from now til then. Come and drink it while we've got it!

ENEWSPF first caught word of the closing from Mike Carroll's Facebook post, "R.I.P. Tattlers! Gonna miss the good friends and special people! Thank you Barb for preserving as long as you did! You are a SPECIAL person and I LOVE you! Listen to Carey's post and you will get it." Amid expressions of incredulity, Mike Carroll further commented, " YES! People did not support on a regular basis. The economy, PF, and prices had an overwhelming effect! Sure gonna miss it! Another icon gone!"

"This is the greatest thing I've ever done," owner Barbara Gallagher told eNews Park Forest. "The Village has been wonderful, supportive and lovely. Because of economic times, I am no longer able to keep my doors open. The Village has been marvellous. Sixteen years I've done this, and it's been a good run."

Another icon, indeed.

"My father was absolutely devastated.

"Shortly after, he lost his millwork job (he had been in the field his entire life) followed by his home. He spent the next years simply trying to find work. He searched all over, including different states and countries. He was desperate. Things seemed to look up when he finally find another millwork job in September of 2011. Although he took an almost 50% pay decrease, he was still ecstatic."

She continues that her father hadn't been feeling well for some time, had lost his health insurance when he was laid off, and was waiting for his new insurance to "kick in." so he could go see the doctor.

"Dad was only 20 days away from qualifying for his new insurance and two months into his new job when he could wait no more," Jenna continues. "I received a phone call October 29th 2011 from my father stating he needed to go to the emergency room ASAP and wasn't able to take himself due to his eyes being swollen shut. The doctor said that if we didn't come in when we did he would have died.

"He was in complete kidney failure and his bladder was completely shut down and no longer functioning. He was admitted for a week and in that time found out he had the most severe aggressive form of prostate cancer and was already in stage 3.

"My father has been battling his MS since 2001. The doctors aren't sure if the kidney and bladder issues were a result of the MS or possibly even the cancer now too. Needless to say he now has to face years of hormonal therapy and radiation, plus numerous visits to all of his doctors."

All told, Mr. Schnittker now has a neurologist, urologist, oncologist, nephrologist, and a general practitioner.

"If that wasn't bad enough," Jenna goes on, "he was no longer able to get the health insurance that was so close in his reach. My father and I have since spent numerous hours trying to figure out what can be done for him to simply survive. It makes no sense to me that a man, a good man, can spend his entire life devoted to his family and work and have to struggle to try to live.

"We have visited and spoke with every agency and resource you can think of to try to get him insurance, disability, or to simply point us in the right direction."

Since her father is only 55, is not blind or does not have a dependent under the age of 18, he will most likely not get state help, Jenna says.

"We have applied however but was told the process could take up to one full year to find out."

So Jenna and her family are throwing a fund raiser "so that my dad can have the right that everyone deserves, to live.

"I am hoping that if enough people can hear his story, we may be able to gather the funds needed for his treatments."

Jenna asks prayers as well.

Only in America.

Really, that's true.

Of all the industrialized democracies, ours is the only one with a for-profit health insurance system that denies medical insurance to so many.

That debate is in our past and still in our future.

In the present, in the now, there is one among many who needs your help.