Bob CollinsWhy on earth would people pick on the woman who once graced the front page of HealthCare.gov?
Until she spoke to ABC’s Good Morning America today, we didn’t know her name is Adriana. We still don’t know her last name. She’s afraid to give it because she’s been the target of cyberbullying, she said. It’s a little bit of an odd allegation since up until today, nobody seemed to know who she is. She was removed from the healthcare.gov home page last month.
It’s true she was lampooned plenty in the opening days of the health care site’s rollout as her face became a symbol of a botched program. But does that qualify as “cyberbullying?”
“I mean, I don’t know why people should hate me because it’s just a photo. I didn’t design the website. I didn’t make it fail, so I don’t think they should have any reasons to hate me,” Adriana told ABC News.
Speculation swirled that Adriana might not be a legal resident of the United States, and therefore not even eligible for the health care exchanges. Adriana said she is a wife and mother who lives in Maryland with her 21-month-old son and husband of six and a half years. Her husband is a U.S. citizen, as is his her son. Adriana, who is Colombian, said she has lived legally in the U.S. for more than six years, is currently a permanent resident and is applying for citizenship.
Though she is eligible for healthcare through the ACA, Adriana says she hasn’t signed up for it, and is neither in favor nor against it.
She’s not a professional model, she said. She decided to reveal herself to show her child that one should stand up in the face of bullying.
