SIMI VALLEY, Calif. – Every time Kerry Mellin gets into her car, she is reminded of how lucky she is to be alive.

A few weeks ago Mellin was driving around with her friend when suddenly they were T-boned. Mellin hit her head on the dashboard and was rushed to the hospital.

“I hit my head pretty hard and I was bleeding from my head and my chin,” Mellin said.

Thankfully she survived and was sent home with 15 stitches and a prescription for painkillers. The real headache started when the bills started to arrive in the mail, an avalanche of paperwork and documents that keeps piling up to this day.

“We had all kinds of MRIs and head scans and X-rays, discharge instructions, HIPAA rights, what kind of mediations I should or shouldn’t take,” Mellin said.

But Mellin knows she is one of the lucky ones. Her insurance will cover most of the costs, leaving her with about $500 in out-of-pocket expenses.

“It just reinvigorated me to really work towards getting someone who understands how important healthcare is,” Mellin said.

An animal lover from Simi Valley, Mellin’s most important issues this election are climate change and women’s rights. But after her accident, she is putting healthcare at the top of that list.

“I’m softening towards Bernie Sanders, his healthcare stance and he is definitely Medicare for all,” said Mellin.

Her dream ticket? An all-female one that includes senators Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris.

“Warren is still my first choice but I am looking at Bernie Sanders again too if we have to elect a male,” Mellin said.

Warren, Sanders or Harris, Mellin says she will be watching the next debates to see who has the best plan to rein in medical costs and get healthcare back on track.