Denver, CO — In case you missed it, Celeste O'Dea, a retired clinical laboratory scientist and wife of Joe O'Dea for 34 years, sat down with CBS Colorado's Shaun Boyd to open up about her personal health struggles
On Celeste's Health:
Shaun Boyd: "But for the first time, she [Celeste] is sharing the untold story of his [Joe] campaign for U.S. Senate. A year before he launched, they learned she had two incurable diseases. Sjögren's syndrome which makes it difficult to swallow and Cystic fibrosis which makes it difficult to breath. The diagnoses she says, made the decision to run easy."
Celeste O'Dea: "I said life is short, it's unpredictable, you don't know what's ahead of you. Act today. I got your back the whole way and we'll do this together."
On Joe O'Dea:
Shaun Boyd: "She says the diseases have not only put life into perspective, but informed her husband's perspective on healthcare. He says he won't vote to repeal Obamacare and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions."
On the O'Dea Family:
Shaun Boyd: "For years before their daughter was born, the couple also struggled to have their own children. Yet they support Roe v. Wade. They also support legal status for Dreamers. Her grandparents immigrated from Mexico. Her family and his, she says, were working class."
Celeste O'Dea: "I even cleaned houses with my mother. I worked at Taco Bell. Every, every fast food joint just to save and squirrel my money away so I could go to college. We came from humble beginnings, very humble beginnings."
On Finding Common Ground:
Shaun Boyd: "For all their differences, she says they share the same values and believe their positions align with most Coloradans."
Celeste O'Dea: "The extremes aren't the answer. The solution is somewhere in the middle."
On Looking Ahead:
Shaun Boyd: "Still, she admits, the campaign won't be easy. Fighting two incurable diseases isn't either. But she says, they're determined to win both fights."
Celeste O'Dea: "I am very proud and humbled of the support the people in the community that have come just to wish Joe and I luck and tell us that just his simple values that he carries, and that he's a man of principle and a hard worker, is all they're looking for."
Learn more about Joe O’Dea’s campaign here.
Original source can be found here
