This is an opinion piece about two women who I see in my practice. 

One is from the Caribbean and the other is from Eastern Europe.  Both had difficult childhoods saturated with emotional deprivation.  They left their respective countries in late adolescence/early adulthood on their own with little money and even less emotional support from their families.  They put themselves through college and established careers for themselves in health care and fashion, respectively.  They both became single mothers and raised their sons on their own. 

After becoming quite established in their respective fields, both women had accidents on the job.  One was attacked by a patient and the other fell in a factory while overseas.  This is where the story takes a turn for the worse.  Both women were let go.  One lost her insurance.  They needed operations and were saddled with chronic pain and compensation that is a fraction of what they were earning on the job. 

This is the American dream in black and white.  What went wrong?  These enterprising, intelligent women sought better lives for themselves.  They worked their ways through school and pursued the American dream.  Things were going swimmingly until they became expendable.  They are hard-working and have always devoted 110% to their jobs, but were treated like racehorses with broken ankles. 

It seems so unfair.  It is so unfair.  These women should be put on pedestals as examples of what hard work and determination can bring.  Instead, they are treated like criminals and liars by a system that is paranoid due to a few bad apples.  It is so sad and so wrong that there is not a voice for these women and many others like them.

David B. Younger, Ph.D