Setting the record straight
that time I went viral for something I didn't write
I didn’t expect to wake up this morning to dozens of Google alerts, emails, and new subscribers to my newsletter, but that’s exactly what happened when Insider published an article entitled: My husband and I moved from New Jersey to rural West Virginia. Healthcare access is so bad we moved back to New Jersey.
Ahh…the clickbait.
Just to make it clear from the start, in case you don’t keep reading, I did NOT write this article. Insider has a personal interest series where they talk to someone about their story and then write their article as though it’s from that person’s point of view. If you look closely—which most people don’t—you’ll see the reporter’s name in the byline. Hint: It’s not Jess Rinker.
(Basic research skills 101, folks. Look at the bylines.)
The actual article I wrote is on the Cancer Hope Network blog and is far more nuanced and truthful.
Now I’m fielding emails from a lot of West Virginians who were unhappy with the negative tone of Insider’s article and I 100% agree with them! That negativity is not from me and my husband, it’s from Insider. I suppose it garners more clicks if it’s a bit melodramatic and while yes, we did leave WV to go back to NJ, it was far more complicated than simply not being close to a hospital. The distance was one factor in a lot of challenging factors.
Also, I know this little post isn’t going to viral like Insider’s did, but I do want people to know (if they come looking for me) we NEVER had bad medical care from our general practitioners, eye doctors, or dentists. We were fortunate to have good insurance because we worked for the higher-ed system, and we went to all the doctors in the closest small town to our little mountain home. It wasn’t until my husband’s diagnosis and the long-term care he needs came into play that we ever really had any issues. And again, the issues were not about quality. The issues were distance, cost, challenges of living on a mountain in bad weather, and our support system in general, which is primarily in New Jersey.
The truth is always more complicated than the headlines. Please remember that every time you click on anything.
In the meantime I will continue to answer every single email that I receive. Even the unhappy people have been pretty kind about the situation. Because that’s West Virginia. Kind, thoughtful, and helpful people. I certainly didn’t intend or even expect our story or West Virginia to be represented otherwise. Lesson learned.
Also you can follow my husband’s take here on his BLOG.