WEBVTT NOTE language:en-US NOTE Confidence: 0.9171640872955322 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:08.080 My name is Richard and I'm 75 years old. NOTE Confidence: 0.9588527083396912 00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:09.920 I was born here in Austin, TX. NOTE Confidence: 0.6633952260017395 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:20.800 They say that I died, but they brought me back. NOTE Confidence: 0.6533772349357605 00:00:21.400 --> 00:00:23.920 So then he started me on dialysis. NOTE Confidence: 0.7574297785758972 00:00:36.080 --> 00:00:37.840 My mom laughing and my dad left. NOTE Confidence: 0.7505917549133301 00:00:38.240 --> 00:00:40.748 So we didn't have a mother like that, but my NOTE Confidence: 0.7505917549133301 00:00:40.805 --> 00:00:42.800 grandmother lived right next to us. NOTE Confidence: 0.786598265171051 00:00:43.159 --> 00:00:46.466 My grandmother had had built the house next door and NOTE Confidence: 0.786598265171051 00:00:46.530 --> 00:00:48.120 we still we stayed there. NOTE Confidence: 0.9522233605384827 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:49.840 My brother took charge. NOTE Confidence: 0.904776394367218 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:51.400 He was about 12 years old. NOTE Confidence: 0.9554486870765686 00:00:51.560 --> 00:00:52.800 He told us what to do. NOTE Confidence: 0.8551713824272156 00:00:53.120 --> 00:00:56.160 We had to wash dishes, wash clothes, everything. NOTE Confidence: 0.8753765821456909 00:00:56.240 --> 00:00:58.059 I learned how to cook when I was about 7 NOTE Confidence: 0.8753765821456909 00:00:58.105 --> 00:00:58.560 years old. NOTE Confidence: 0.6733689308166504 00:00:58.760 --> 00:01:00.720 I started working playing newspapers. NOTE Confidence: 0.9471407532691956 00:01:09.800 --> 00:01:12.160 Richard has experienced a lot in his life. NOTE Confidence: 0.9746088981628418 00:01:12.280 --> 00:01:15.200 He's very brave and he's a fighter. NOTE Confidence: 0.9638811349868774 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:18.760 He is an amazing person. NOTE Confidence: 0.6415953636169434 00:01:28.040 --> 00:01:30.120 For Vietnam, I had a hard time. NOTE Confidence: 0.8552529811859131 00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:34.063 I had PTSD real bad, couldn't hold a job for NOTE Confidence: 0.8552529811859131 00:01:34.153 --> 00:01:34.959 20 years. NOTE Confidence: 0.7328811883926392 00:01:35.160 --> 00:01:39.883 Sometimes my PTSD takes control of me and I sometimes NOTE Confidence: 0.7328811883926392 00:01:39.972 --> 00:01:42.200 want to throw a towel in. NOTE Confidence: 0.8761101961135864 00:01:42.760 --> 00:01:49.162 Richard experiences the impact of PTSD, so often times Richard NOTE Confidence: 0.8761101961135864 00:01:49.266 --> 00:01:54.119 will have a low and he'll withdraw from others. NOTE Confidence: 0.9679442644119263 00:01:54.120 --> 00:01:58.441 He won't sleep, he struggles to communicate, and he feels NOTE Confidence: 0.9679442644119263 00:01:58.517 --> 00:01:59.200 hopeless. NOTE Confidence: 0.8698659539222717 00:01:59.360 --> 00:02:02.685 When I talk to Abby, she knows how to talk NOTE Confidence: 0.8698659539222717 00:02:02.764 --> 00:02:03.239 to me. NOTE Confidence: 0.7897531986236572 00:02:03.400 --> 00:02:06.805 She'll listen to me and she tries to help me NOTE Confidence: 0.7897531986236572 00:02:06.883 --> 00:02:09.359 with getting getting help to me. NOTE Confidence: 0.8057390451431274 00:02:09.400 --> 00:02:10.480 She's somebody special. NOTE Confidence: 0.9172072410583496 00:02:11.040 --> 00:02:14.194 Richard and I have grown close over the years by NOTE Confidence: 0.9172072410583496 00:02:14.259 --> 00:02:17.677 having a space during treatment where he and I talk, NOTE Confidence: 0.9172072410583496 00:02:17.742 --> 00:02:19.319 where he lets it all go. NOTE Confidence: 0.9687640070915222 00:02:19.400 --> 00:02:22.743 I think Richard is relieved because he doesn't have to NOTE Confidence: 0.9687640070915222 00:02:22.805 --> 00:02:23.920 carry that burden. NOTE Confidence: 0.9591076970100403 00:02:24.480 --> 00:02:28.525 It's a privilege to listen to him, to understand him NOTE Confidence: 0.9591076970100403 00:02:28.602 --> 00:02:32.259 and what he's gone through, and also to kind of NOTE Confidence: 0.9591076970100403 00:02:32.336 --> 00:02:35.915 carry the burden for him so that he knows that NOTE Confidence: 0.9591076970100403 00:02:35.993 --> 00:02:37.159 he's not alone. NOTE Confidence: 0.04128800705075264 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:41.960 None. NOTE Confidence: 0.9369426965713501 00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:48.960 Richard was happy to become a facility patient representative. NOTE Confidence: 0.9399495124816895 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:53.388 He understands the dynamics of being new to dialysis, not NOTE Confidence: 0.9399495124816895 00:02:53.463 --> 00:02:59.080 understanding all the different systems within healthcare insurance and can NOTE Confidence: 0.9399495124816895 00:02:59.155 --> 00:03:03.199 be a support system to our Spanish speaking community. NOTE Confidence: 0.8323224186897278 00:03:03.520 --> 00:03:06.239 I can tell the people, look patients, that I'm one NOTE Confidence: 0.8323224186897278 00:03:06.294 --> 00:03:07.599 of your representatives. NOTE Confidence: 0.8882579803466797 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:10.623 If you ever need any help, you know you can NOTE Confidence: 0.8882579803466797 00:03:10.688 --> 00:03:11.400 come to me. NOTE Confidence: 0.9345591068267822 00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:14.102 There is a level of support that Richard offers to NOTE Confidence: 0.9345591068267822 00:03:14.153 --> 00:03:15.600 other patients that I can't. NOTE Confidence: 0.9070346355438232 00:03:15.600 --> 00:03:19.306 As a social worker, he's a natural born advocate and NOTE Confidence: 0.9070346355438232 00:03:19.377 --> 00:03:23.439 as a dialysis representative he's willing to help others. NOTE Confidence: 0.7712874412536621 00:03:28.040 --> 00:03:32.556 Yeah, the team that consists of taking care of all NOTE Confidence: 0.7712874412536621 00:03:32.647 --> 00:03:36.080 the patients and me, they inspired me. NOTE Confidence: 0.6101804971694946 00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:37.360 I was real down. NOTE Confidence: 0.8442484736442566 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:41.128 And because of them, I've got my joy back, you NOTE Confidence: 0.8442484736442566 00:03:41.206 --> 00:03:43.560 know, like they saved my life. NOTE Confidence: 0.8646538257598877 00:03:43.720 --> 00:03:46.840 And I thank God that they're there because if you NOTE Confidence: 0.8646538257598877 00:03:46.903 --> 00:03:49.960 weren't for them, I would not be here right now.