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Today, the White House is launching a new Tumblr account called “Letters to President Obama,” where we'll highlight letters that Americans have written to the President. Follow along here.

Earlier this morning, Natoma Canfield — a cancer survivor from Ohio — sent the following message to the White House email list, sharing what happened when she wrote the President a letter encouraging him to “stay focused” in his efforts to reform America's health care system.

Didn't get the email? Sign up for email updates here.

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In December of 2009, I was a 50-year-old divorced woman, self-employed, and struggling to support myself and pay for my health insurance.

But in 1995, I'd had a very small bout with breast cancer — carcinoma in situ — which meant the insurance companies would forever see me as a woman with cancer. And that meant I had to pay more for my insurance.

My rates kept going up until I couldn't pay for my insurance any longer. I sure tried — I cut back everything, but nothing made a difference. I had to cancel.

In a last-ditch effort, desperate to let someone know my plight, I wrote President Obama a letter straight from my heart. I shared my story with him and told him how much people like me needed his help. And he actually read it!

A few months later, however, my fears came true. In March of 2010, I passed out at work, and found out soon after that I had a rare type of leukemia — acute lymphoblastic leukemia with the Philadelphia chromosome, to be specific.

I went to the Cleveland Clinic and was placed in a great program on their leukemia floor, where I would fight for my life. While I was there, my sister Connie Anderson was asked to introduce the President at an event in Strongsville, Ohio.

Then one day, the President sent me a note, then another — and even called me on the phone. I couldn't believe it. Connie and my brother Ken were able to go to the signing of the Affordable Care Act, and later I finally got to meet the President myself in Parma, Ohio.

I really believe all of the excitement helped keep me alive. And today, I'm happy to say that I'm cancer-free.

Of course, I can't begin to thank the President enough for the Affordable Care Act. During the fight to pass the law, he said that he carried my story with him every day, as a reminder of what the Act would mean for people all across our country. He later decided to frame the letter, which is now hanging up outside the Oval Office.

As the President has said, “because of this law, there are other Americans — other sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers — who will not have to hang their fortunes on chance. These are the Americans for whom we passed this law.”

I'm so grateful to have a President who truly cares about the people that he serves.

Natoma Canfield
Medina, Ohio

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To see some more of the letters that people across America have written to President Obama, follow our “Letters to President Obama” Tumblr account here.

Whether it’s a garage, a basement, a dorm room, or—if you’re like me—a kitchen, a great idea can ignite just about anywhere. In America, those small sparks of innovation have defined who we are as people—creators, risk-takers, and boundary-breakers who know our unwavering commitment to a single dream can significantly reshape our reality.

In America, anyone with a good idea can grow into a successful entrepreneur. And it’s so important that they do, because it is their small businesses that create jobs and drive our economy. However, when it comes to starting a business in America, we are currently ranked 46th in the world. It’s time to change that. 

Today, high-growth companies across the country are connecting with their Members of Congress in the third annual Startup Day Across America.

This event, championed by Congressman Jared Polis of Colorado, gives Members and entrepreneurs a chance to discuss the challenges small businesses face, and to identify ways that Congress can support the startup economy. 

American ingenuity remains one of the most valuable resources in the world. Beyond just tech, entrepreneurs in Colorado and beyond are reshaping the world of aerospace, energy, bioscience, food, outdoor recreation, and even beer. Startups are responsible for the majority of new jobs in the US – we’ve got to make sure we’re supporting these job creators with policies that help, not hinder them.

Congressman Jared Polis

Startup Day shows that both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue understand the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship to the country’s economy. President Obama has made supporting entrepreneurship a top priority—and under his leadership, we’ve worked to make sure every American innovator has the chance to get good ideas off the ground.

Earlier this month, we hosted the first-ever White House Demo Day, part of the President’s Startup America initiative to celebrate, inspire, and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship. The President welcomed dozens of startups from around the country to share their stories, showcasing the full breadth of the country’s entrepreneurial talent.  

The theme for Demo Day was Inclusive Entrepreneurship, working to make sure all talent in our country has access to the entrepreneurial ecosystem—an ecosystem that is the envy of the world. Today many women, people of color or those not in certain metro areas do not have access to the same growth capital and other important resources to support their startup to scale. Some people are not encouraged to start business or join in the startup economy.

As part of working to expand access for all entrepreneurial Americans, we announced specific new commitments on Demo Day, from 40 leading venture capital firms, over a dozen major technology companies, and more than a hundred deans of engineering schools, to promote diversity throughout the entrepreneurial ecosystem. We announced or extended programs from the Departments of Commerce, Energy, and Health and Human Services that support startup companies around the country.  

We also announced grant winners in two new Small Business Administration programs: “Startup in a Day,” and the Growth Accelerator Fund.  Both programs are designed to spark inclusive entrepreneurship across the country, especially outside traditional centers for venture capital.

Startup In a Day has a simple goal: Help entrepreneurs find, understand, and apply to meet the requirements for starting a business—in less than one day. The SBA is partnering with 25 cities and two Native American communities to develop online tools that consolidate startup information and streamline permitting processes. Every community involved has pledged to share best practices through the National League of Cities, so cities and towns across the country can help their own entrepreneurs get off the ground more quickly.

The Growth Accelerator Fund supports “accelerator” organizations, which help startups obtain the capital, mentorship, and institutional support they need to grow. Through this fund, the SBA will provide selected accelerators $4 million to expand their efforts, helping more founders and small businesses get good ideas moving.

But our work to support entrepreneurs and small businesses isn’t done. Updating our trade policy is another lever we can pull to help jumpstart American entrepreneurs. Here’s why: 95 percent of the world’s customers live outside the U.S. And when we compete for those customers on a level playing field, our innovators and small businesses are the far and away winners. 

That’s why President Obama is working to secure the Trans-Pacific Partnership—a high-standard, progressive trade agreement that can help level that playing field, open new markets, and set strong rules of the road that protect American businesses, workers, and values at home and abroad.  

Entrepreneurship is more important than ever to the future health of the country’s economy. President Obama will continue to work with Members of Congress like those celebrating Startup Day Across America today to give every American entrepreneur the opportunity to be a part of the country’s success—because the next big idea can come from anywhere.  

In December of 2013, President Obama brought a coalition of new mayors from across the country together to develop plans for America’s progress and growth based on federal-local partnerships. The President’s commitment to removing barriers in Washington has given mayors like me the tools and resources necessary to create a better economic environment in cities throughout the country. In the face of gridlock, mayors across the country are working hard to get things done. 

We in Pittsburgh know that we can't afford to wait for Congress — we need to take action and find partners where we can.

Our new sick leave policy, which I signed into law last week, is a great example of Pittsburgh taking the lead while Congress sits on its hands. America is the only developed nation without a comprehensive sick leave policy, and we could not sit idly by. Pittsburgh is proud to be the 20th city to adopt a paid sick leave policy. We genuinely believe that as one of America's most livable cities, we have a responsibility to ensure a high standard of living for all of our residents. This legislation supports the health and well-being of thousands of city residents, as well as raising the overall public health of our communities. I'm proud of the collaborative effort in City Council that resulted in a bill that provides workers the support they need without imposing an undue burden on our City's small businesses.

In addition to moving the President’s policy agenda forward, we have partnered on numerous initiatives. From the moment I took office, my administration has had direct access to federal support related to education, economic development, energy efficiency, immigration, manufacturing, community policing, workforce development and technology.

In the last year and a half, Pittsburgh has been a part of several White House initiatives that have had a direct impact on our region.

• Technology: The TechHire partnership is providing Pittsburghers the skills needed to be competitive in a global economy. In Pittsburgh we will pilot several youth-serving and one adult-serving accelerated training programs that will provide training to over 500 individuals by the end of 2016.
• My Brother’s Keeper: As an MBK Community, elected officials and local partners throughout the Pittsburgh region are working together to forge long-term and strategic programs to help the job and life development of at-risk youth, particularly young men of color.
• Crime and Safety: As part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve and protect, Pittsburgh was selected as one of the first six cities to host pilot sites for the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice. The DOJ also awarded the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police $1.875 million to hire 15 new community oriented police officers starting in 2015.
• Immigration: In December of 2014, I joined more than 20 mayors from across the country to launch Cities United for Immigration Action (CUIA) — a nationwide coalition of mayors working together to ensure the successful implementation of the President’s immigration reform plan. This coalition is leading the national dialogue on immigration reform at the municipal level and taking a leadership role to influence policy change from the ground up. And we have launched the Welcoming Pittsburgh initiative and developed a local plan to improve the quality of life and economic prosperity for immigrants and native-born residents alike, which builds on the White House Task Force on New Americans.
• Veterans' Homelessness: In conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, my administration has committed to ending veteran homelessness in Pittsburgh by the end of 2015.
• Advanced Manufacturing Initiative: U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker awarded the Pittsburgh region a designation under the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership, making it one of 12 cities this year to receive unique federal support for long-term economic development growth in regional manufacturing.
• Clean Energy: Just last month, Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz was in Pittsburgh to support a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Pittsburgh and the National Energy Technology Laboratory on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy on joint efforts to design 21st-century energy infrastructure for Pittsburgh. The outcomes of this MOU will help modernize delivery of utility services through new business models and markets, grow technology research and development opportunities and product manufacturing, reduce environmental impacts, enhance resilience and security through integrated district-based microgrid solutions, address affordability for consumers, and encourage workforce development.

We are happy to be an active partner with the White House on sick leave and many other initiatives. Pittsburgh is a City on the move, and we are grateful for the partnerships we’ve been able to create — both with other communities and with the President — that improve our quality of life and continue to make us America’s Most Livable City.

Bill Peduto is Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh.