At 22, Shawn Ramsey is a full-time caretaker for his mother, who has COPD and whose health problems worsened after she got COVID several years ago.
Ramsey, of Chesapeake, was in Marmet on Election Day running errands. He said he’s less aware of his neighbors’ problems since he’s focused on his mom and mostly isolated.
“My mom can’t get out because she’s afraid she’ll catch COVID again and it gives her panic attacks,” he said. “I calm her down.”
Mountain State Spotlight reporters are traveling around the state, asking West Virginians what’s on their mind this primary election day. To read other stories from this series, click here.
As for how public officials could help his family, he said they struggle to get by on disability benefits — even though both he and his mother get the assistance for her health and his learning disability, they still have a harder and harder time paying for the higher costs of needs like groceries and clothing. And the price of their prescriptions is also outrageous.
“It’s just rough right now because it’s hard to purchase anything,” he said.
Ramsey says he’s had hopes before that when new public officials take office, they’d do something to lower costs for people like his family. But he said that never happens, and he’s pessimistic.
