NURSE, SON TAKE MESSAGE TO D.C.

JACKSON -- Desma Reno and her son Jonathan traveled to Washington, D.C. last week to tell people about their desire for universal health-care coverage.

The Renos were among riders on the Health Security Express, a caravan of buses traveling across the country to persuade Congress to pass health-care reform.

"I know they've heard it before, but it's obvious some need to hear it again and again and again," Reno said of members of Congress. "We need to debate, compromise and pass some sort of health care legislation now."

Reno, a nurse at St. Francis Medical Center, returned home early Monday morning after meeting President and first lady Bill and Hillary Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and being interviewed on national television with Tipper Gore.

She hopes the trip will impact members of Congress about concerns Americans have with health care.

Reno learned about the caravan through a nursing organization. Caravan organizers were looking for a nurse from the Midwest to travel on the bus.

Her son, Jonathan, has a chronic immuno-deficiency disease. Jonathan, 11, traveled with the caravan, and the Renos were picked to serve in the "press pen," making them available for interviews with media along the route.

Reno said she doesn't advocate any particular health-reform plan. "I believe in some way we should be able to provide health care to all Americans," she said.

Her personal situation, she said, was typical of many people she met along the way. She is concerned about access, choice, and insurance coverage.

"What happens when my son grows to a point where I can't cover him under my insurance? How will he get insurance with this pre-existing condition?" she said. "Also, we have a cap on our insurance, and we are spending that at a rapid rate."

As they traveled across the country, Reno said they heard stories of people left destitute because of troubles with the health-care system. "We met many people who had lost insurance, jobs, homes, savings because of an illness," she said.

Reno also heard numerous tales of people who refused to work because they would have to relinquish government health care benefits.

Caravans traveled four routes, bringing people from across the country to Washington D.C. for three days of rallies, meetings and lobbying. The Renos caught the Midwest route in St. Louis on July 29.

Health care rallies were set up in major cities across the country. Protesters followed the caravans, setting up shop at each rally location.

Reno thinks the protesters objected to specific issues of health reform or to Clinton's politics, not the caravan or its message to get something done.

The event was coordinated by a group called Families USA, and supported by health-care related organizations that, listed, filled three pages.