Gerry Woodberry, a resident of Flint, Michigan is one of many residents who have lost their trust in the local government. What kind of world do we live in where the people of a city are treated so despairingly and are pretty much held captive and at the mercy of others to get a basic necessity like water.
Water to drink, cook with, to bathe in and nourish our bodies is a resource that the average person has taken for granted and never really thought about what happens when the resource is no longer available. Well Gerry’s plight is one that puts him at the top of the list of having a need of clean running water resource at his disposal. He suffers from a skin condition called Lichen Planus. From what we are able to decipher from the description of the condition, it seems to be the very ugly cousin of eczema but much worse, where skin and oral lesions can appear at anytime. It’s not contagious nor it is cancerous but it surely is an itchy, irritating and sometimes painful condition for anyone who has it.
One can only imagine, what this man goes through on a daily basis when he had adequate water and now that he does not his condition has worsened. Woodberry allowed photo journalist Jake May of MLive to photograph him to show the world the continued suffering he is enduring. As long as he does not have the proper things needed for him to survive, who knows how much longer he will be able to care for himself. Take a look at the photos:
Gerry’s condition and so many others who may suffer from skin conditions require that adequate and ample access to a natural resource like water could mean the difference life and death. Although the condition is not one that is life threatening but just like any medical condition if left untreated properly and access to the necessary means to care for oneself properly can contribute to the conditions advancement of stages, especially if the lesions on his skin were to burst open and create opened wounds.
Gerry’s lack of trust in his local government is most definitely warranted as well as thoroughly understood. The constant pain Gerry is going through is heart-wrenching and he says ”
“I can’t trust them because to me they knew what was going on,” said Gerry Woodberry, 50, of losing his trust in government after the Flint water crisis. “A little shortcut to save them money, while you’re destroying people’s lives… I can’t regain my trust. I really can’t. I feel like this situation with me trying to get help, they don’t really care, they just don’t care. It’s not them that’s affected, so why should they care. That’s how I feel.”
“Before this water changed, when I would take my showers, it would soothe my skin,” he said. “When I get out now, it’s the total opposite. It’s like I’m very irritated, like I’m very dry. It’s constantly hurting. Some days I can’t even put my socks on or my shoes.”