Patients, Caregivers and Community Leaders Rally to Restore Medi-cal Care to California’s Disabled and Elderly.

In the tradition of Disability Rights Movement patients, caregivers, human rights activists, and community leaders, Congressman Bob Filner, Lorena Gonzalez of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council and others will gather on Friday, April 6, 2012 at 11 a.m. to protest the state-wide budget cuts affecting millions of disabled patients and the jobs of their caregivers. ]

The rally will take place at the Medi-Cal office located at 690 Oxford Street in Chula Vista, Calif.

This is the third rally in a series of community and labor organized events highlighting the struggle of 22-year old disabled patient, Raul Carranza, whose mission it is to call attention to the life-threatening effects of budget cuts on not only his life, but all disabled patients whose nursing care hours have been cut due to budget pressures.

With Governor Jerry Brown’s increased spending on California’s correctional system over disabled patients lives, people like Raul Carranza will be forced out of their homes with loved ones and into nursing homes, while leaving their home health care workers out of a job.

Raul’s younger brother Pablo, who also suffers from Muscular Dystrophy, will also lose his vital nursing care coverage hours after turning 21 in September.

“Your 21st birthday should be one of the greatest days of your life, but because of people like Jerry Brown and companies like Medi-Cal, it marks the start of a battle for the lives of every person that they consider a burden on this world,” said Carranza. “A young adult does not belong in a nursing home.  Despite what they may think, we do have ambitions, goals and dreams. We have the right to live our lives on our terms! That is what we are fighting for!”

Occupy Medi-Cal will be demanding full restoration to Raul Carranza’s nursing hours and a call to end all cuts to disabled and elderly patients health care.This protest will also serve as a forum for patients, nurses, caregivers and community leaders to speak out about the negative effect these cuts have on not just the elderly and the disabled, but also on their families, friends, caregivers and health care workers.

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For more information about Raul’s story and media resources go here.

Media Contacts: Sarah Saez, saezsarah@gmail.com  or Raul Carranza raulecarranza@gmail.com or (619) 392-9797