John,

Ady Barkan, founder of Be A Hero and tireless activist for justice, passed away yesterday.

Social Security Works had the honor of fighting alongside Ady. His fearless organizing transformed the health care debate and played a key role in defending Medicare and Medicaid during Donald Trump’s presidency.

Ady was a key part of the fight for Medicare for All, long-term care, and prescription drug reform. His condition, ALS, gave him the ability to force politicians to see the human impacts of their policies. He will continue to inspire us every day.

For the last year we have worked basically every day with Ady and Be A Hero — slowly but surely turning the tide against Medicare privatization. Our work was just starting to take off. Ady’s death is a huge loss to this fight, but we will ensure that we honor his legacy by completely defeating privatization and guaranteeing health care to every person in this country.

Ady is survived by his wife, Rachael, and two young children, Carl and Willow. Their close friends have set up a GoFundMe to provide support for the Barkan family in this time of need. If you’re able, pitch in a few dollars to support them in this tough time.

In solidarity,

Alex, Michael, Nancy, and the Social Security Works team