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VICTOR GARCIA IS GETTING SUPPORT FROM HIS SOCCER BUDDIES AND IS JUST HOURS AWAY FROM
REPAIRING A TORN ACL IN HIS RIGHT KNEE. HE'S TALKING ABOUT PLAYING SOCCER, THE SAME
THING THAT BLEW HIS KNEE OUT TWICE IN THE PAST YEAR.
>> >>: SO NOW MY KNEE IS UNSTABLE. WHEN I DO A CUT OR SOMETHING, MY KNEE WILL
GO OFF TO THE SIDE AND POP. >> >>DWANE: THAT WAS A YEAR AGO, AND GARCIA
HAD ALMOST GIVEN UP HOPE UNTIL HE HEARD PROJECT ACCESS SAN DIEGO WOULD PAY THE COST TO REPAIR
IT. >> >>: TALKING ABOUT 30,000 DOLLARS WITH INCLUDING
THERAPY, MEDICINE, SURGES. >> >>DWANE: GARCIA REPRESENTS THE 1 OUT OF
4 ADULTS IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY WHO ARE UNINSURED. AND TOMORROW HE WILL JOIN NEARLY 3 DOZEN OTHERS
IN KEARNY MESA FOR SATURDAY SURGERY DAY. IT'S A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE SAN DIEGO MEDICAL
COUNTY ASSOCIATION AND VARIOUS HOSPITALS. >> >>: IT'S ABOUT HOPE, IT'S ABOUT REACHING
OUT TO PEOPLE IN SAN DIEGO THAT ARE IN PAIN, THAT COULD POSSIBLY DIE OF CANCER, THAT HAVE
DEFORMITIES THEY'VE HAD TO LIVE WITH. >> >>DWANE: DR.ÊPAUL BERNSTEIN IS A HEAD
AND NECK SPECIALIST WHO HELPED REMOVE A LARGE GROWTH FROM SIMON JOHN'S FOREHEAD.
HE WAS UNEMPLOYED WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE AND HAD NO MEANS TO PAY FOR SUCH AN EXPENSIVE
PROCEDURE. >> >>: IT'S FRUSTRATED.
YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE CONDITION WHEN YOU CAN'T GET HELP FROM ANYONE.
THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO, YOU JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE ABLE TO GET INSURANCE AGAIN.
>> >>DWANE: JOHN, LIKE 1800 OTHER SAN DIEGO PATIENTS, WAS EVENTUALLY RECOMMENDED TO PROJECT
ACCESS SAN DIEGO. TODAY THE GROWTH IS GONE, AND HE'S BACK TO
WORK. THE MAJORITY OF THE UNINSURED PATIENTS ONLY
NEED TO SEE A SPECIALIST BUT ABOUT 20 PERCENT NEED SURGERY.
TOMORROW MORE THAN 100 STAFF AND DOCTORS WILL VOLUNTEER TO PROVIDE FREE CARE TO 35 SAN DIEGANS
WHO HAVING HOPING AND WAITING FOR SOME MUCH NEEDED RELIEF.
AND SATURDAY MARKS THE TENTH SURGERY DAY AT KAISER SINCE PROJECT ACCESS STARTED IN 2009.