N.H. woman cited in Kerry speech

To illustrate how the federal government needs to make health care more accessible to all Americans, US Senator John Kerry, the Democratic Party's nominee for president, spoke of Mary Ann Knowles, of Hudson, N.H., during his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention at the Fleet Center last Thursday night.

"What does it mean when Mary Ann Knowles, a woman with breast cancer that I met in New Hampshire, had to keep working day after day right through her chemotherapy, no matter how sick she felt, because she was terrified of losing her family's health insurance?" Kerry asked a jubilant crowd of supporters during his speech. "America can do better."

Knowles, an editor and communication specialist at a nonprofit, said she was amazed by Kerry's decision to include her in such a high-profile speech.

"It was a rather incredible experience," said Knowles, who recently finished her treatments. "He's been so sympathetic and compassionate."

Knowles, a New Hampshire delegate to the convention, learned of her inclusion in the speech earlier that morning. The notification followed an unexpected invitation she and her husband, John, received the night before to sit in box seats reserved for Kerry's family and friends.

The Knowleses watched Kerry deliver his speech Thursday night. They sat three rows in front of Kerry's wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, and vice presidential nominee, North Carolina Senator John Edwards.

The brief moment in the national spotlight capped off more than a year of campaigning by the Knowles family for Kerry. The couple was among Kerry's earliest supporters in New Hampshire, formally signing onto the campaign in the spring of last year.

Given their circumstances -- John Knowles lost his technical writer's job two years ago and Mary Ann Knowles was diagnosed with breast cancer during the campaign -- the couple emerged as examples for Kerry of how the "Bush economy" was failing Americans.

Kerry mentioned their predicament in campaign stops around the state, and John and Mary Ann Knowles shared their personal stories at rallies and in television commercials during the primary season.

Mary Ann Knowles said Kerry seemed to take a personal interest in their well-being, calling from the campaign trail as recently as a month ago to see how the two were doing.

Last week was the first convention Knowles attended as a delegate. She was among 27 to represent the Granite State, which is considered to be one of the so-called "battleground states" that could determine the outcome of the November election. Bush narrowly won the state four years ago, but the state delivered two wins to Democrat Bill Clinton, helping to push Bush's father out of office 12 years ago.

In recognition of the state's importance this year, the party gave the New Hampshire delegates prime seating at the convention last week.

They sat behind delegates from Massachusetts and North Carolina -- the home state of the vice presidential nominee and in front of delegates from Florida, another battleground state where recounts ultimately tipped the outcome of the 2000 race in Bush's favor.