By JakkiJustSaying
What happens when post-surgery care is no longer about healing but about waiting?
For black and minority families across America, especially those with Medicaid or public insurance, this isn’t a hypothetical; it’s a harsh and repeated reality.
On July 25, 2025, my daughter, an African American young woman of mixed heritage, underwent a left kidney removal. She was discharged on July 27 with four prescriptions meant to manage her pain, prevent infection, and support her healing process.
But the system failed her. But God…
Prescriptions were scattered between Walgreens locations without clarity or confirmation. Calls were made. Lines were crossed. No one seemed to care. Finally, the medications were transferred to Walmart. When we arrived, only one prescription was ready. The other three? Delayed until August 5th.
That’s over a ‘week without proper care’.
This delay didn’t just cause pain it exposed the hidden disease of medical neglect in marginalized communities.
This Is More Than an Error; It’s a pattern
Too many patients with darker skin, public insurance, or ethnic-sounding names are:
– Ignored at the pharmacy counter
– Dismissed as “non-urgent”
– Sent home without what they need to heal
This isn’t about one pharmacy or one prescription. This is a “systemic gap” in care.
Proverbs 31:8-9
Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
We are called to speak out.
We are called to expose the systems that delay healing while profiting from suffering.
We are called to remind the world that every patient deserves equal urgency, regardless of race, income, or insurance card.
What You Can Do:
– Document Delays: Keep records of who you spoke with, when, and what was said.
– File Complaints: With your local Board of Pharmacy or the HHS Office of Civil Rights.
– Demand Accountability: Ask your doctors to follow up and confirm prescriptions are filled.
– Educate Others: Share your story. Use your platform. Organize locally.
Our Healing Cannot Be Delayed
We can not afford to be silent. We can not wait weeks for relief. Our lives, our children’s lives, depend on a system that honors dignity and delivers justice, not just pills.
To every Black mother, father, grandparent, and guardian fighting this battle,you are not alone.
Let’s not just survive the system. Let’s change it.