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The true story of Robin, a successful pediatrician facing hunger

Francisco Miraval

I met Robin a few weeks ago. Her last name is not important. She is in her early 30s, married, with two children, living in Denver, and a pediatrician. Robin’s life represents the level of success you can expect from a young professional who achieves a well-remunerated position and, therefore, a solid economic position.

Robin told me she was happy with her big house, her college degree, and her full-time job with a very important salary, so she can provide a good standard of living for her family. But one day, unexpectedly, everything changed.

In spite of his age and without any warning, Robin suffered a stroke, something that only affects just a few people in their 30s. She did recover, but she can’t practice medicine. And the hospital bills were so big there was no money to paying all, not even selling the home and not even with the two jobs her husband now works.

Robin and her family were suddenly homeless and hungry. The good job, the high income, and the big house are gone. The new income covers only some of the expenses, but it is not enough to pay for enough food in the quantity and quality the family needs. For that reason, buying food first become a secondary activity and later something impossible to do.

Robin told me the only food she could provide for her family was what she harvested at her small garden and, later, what the food bank gave her. Then, one day, after completing many forms, she received food stamps and for the first time in months she went to buy food at a supermarket.

According to Robin, the cashier noticed the family was very happy buying food and, therefore, asked Robin if they were celebrating something, perhaps a birthday. Robin explained that the smiles in the faces of her children were because they were finally able to buy the food, including watermelons.

Robin is still waiting for her financial situation to improve. In the meantime, Robin is taking pictures to show how hunger and food insecurity affects her and her family. In one picture, titled “It’s better than candy,” Robin’s daughter is eating a carrot. In another pictures, Robin’s husband is holding in his hands the last vegetables harvested by the family in their garden right before the winter.

Robin took some of those pictures to the lobby of the Colorado Capitol in Denver so the legislators could see her situation and the situation of another 840,000 people in Colorado (17 percent of the local population, including 270,000 children) facing hunger. At the national level, 52 million face hunger every day.

Robin told me hunger is real and doesn’t discriminate. It may affect you regardless of your age, your income, or your degrees. As she said, unless we understand that hunger does exist in the United States and that hunger could affect anybody anywhere at any time, unless we do that, we are not helping to end or reduce hunger.

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