* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          OKAY. 
          [ Austin Eli Yorio's 26 for 26 Campaign in Partnership with Undue Medical Debt Day on February 11, 2026.]
          [00:00:03]
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. 
          I'M VANESSA FUENTES. 
          I'M PROUD TO REPRESENT DISTRICT TWO ON AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. 
          I'M JOINED HERE THIS MORNING BY MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER MARK DUCHEN, REPRESENTING DISTRICT 10. 
          AND WE ARE THRILLED TO CELEBRATE THE YOYO FAMILY AND WITH COURTNEY WARBY STORY AROUND UNDUE MEDICAL DEBT CAMPAIGN THAT WE HAVE HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. 
          AND WITH THAT, WE ARE RECOGNIZING A YOUNG PERSON WHO SAW THE CHALLENGE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND CHOSE TO STEP UP AND LEAD. 
          ELI YOYO, A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT RIGHT HERE IN AUSTIN, LAUNCHED THE 26TH FOR 26 CAMPAIGN, AN EFFORT TO HELP NEIGHBORS STRUGGLING WITH MEDICAL DEBT HE SAW, DIAGNOSED AND BEGAN TREATING THE PROBLEM. 
          DEALING WITH MEDICAL DEBT IS SOMETHING NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO FACE. 
          NOT IN THE RICHEST COUNTRY ON EARTH, AND YET ROUGHLY 2.3 MILLION TEXANS ARE STRUGGLING WITH IT. 
          AND HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS, ONE IN FIVE FAMILIES HAVE MEDICAL BILLS IN COLLECTIONS. 
          THAT'S WHY THE WORK OF UNDUE MEDICAL DEBT IS SO IMPORTANT. 
          THEY'RE ELIMINATING MILLIONS IN MILLIONS, NO, EXCUSE ME. 
          THEY'RE ELIMINATING BILLIONS IN DEBT FOR FAMILIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, RELYING ON PEOPLE LIKE ELI AND THE GENEROUS COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE. 
          AND WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT TOO MANY FAMILIES RIGHT HERE IN AUSTIN STILL LACK RELIABLE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE. 
          TOO MANY FALL INTO DEBT JUST FOR DOING WHAT THEY'RE TOLD TO DO, TAKE CARE OF THEIR HEALTH. 
          AND THAT'S WHY THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE MUST CONTINUE TO CONFRONT. 
          AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TOSS IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCILMAN BUR MARK UCHIN FOR A FEW REMARKS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER BUR FUENTES, THE ENDEAVOR THAT ELI'S TAKEN ON HAS THE POWER TO BE TRULY LIFE-CHANGING FOR FAMILIES AND FOR INDIVIDUALS COPING WITH SERIOUS ILLNESSES AND INJURIES ALONGSIDE MOUNTING MEDICAL EXPENSES. 
          AND I'M PERSONALLY FAMILIAR WITH THE COST, AND THAT'S ONE REASON THAT I WANNA TRY AND ELEVATE THIS CAUSE I'VE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH BOTH, UH, CHRONIC ILLNESS AS WELL AS CANCER. 
          AND A FULL DISCLOSURE, ELI'S DAD HERE HAS BEEN MY ONCOLOGIST FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND WITHOUT INSURANCE, MY CANCER WOULD'VE PROBABLY COST NORTH OF A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS. 
          I'M FORTUNATE THAT I HAD HEALTH INSURANCE AND STILL DO, BUT FOR MANY PATIENTS, THEY HAVE INSUFFICIENT HEALTH INSURANCE. 
          AS COUNCILOR FUENTES POINTED OUT, TEXAS ACTUALLY LEADS THE COUNTRY, THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS THAT ARE UNINSURED WITH ABOUT 17% OF OUR RESIDENTS LACKING PROPER INSURANCE. 
          THE UNDUE MEDICAL DEBT PROGRAM ELI'S CHAMPIONED HELPS ERASE DEBT THROUGH SMART AND COST EFFECTIVE BUNDLING AND BUY DOWN PROCESSES. 
          AND I'M REALLY IMPRESSED TO SEE A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT LOCKED INTO AN EXCELLENT SOLUTION FOR SUCH A DIFFICULT FINANCIAL PROBLEM. 
          AND MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS AND OTHERS TO FIND WAYS TO SUPPORT THE UNDUE MEDICAL DEBT LIKE SAN ANTONIO AND OTHER CITIES HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. 
          AND WITH THAT, I'D LOVE TO HAND IT BACK OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCILOR FUENTES. 
          YES, WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL RECOGNITION. 
          SO ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, MARK UCHIN AND I WANTED TO BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS OVER 100 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE US STRUGGLE WITH PAST OR UNPAID MEDICAL DEBT, WHICH IS ESTIMATE TO EXCEED $220 BILLION, EXACERBATING POOR HEALTH, OUTCO EXACERBATING POOR HEALTH OUTCOMES, WIDENING THE RACIAL WEALTH GAP AND CAUSING LONG-TERM EMOTIONAL AND FINANCIAL STRESS. 
          AND WHEREAS FOUNDED IN 2014, THE UNDUE MEDICAL DEBT IS A NATIONAL 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT WHOSE PURPOSE IS TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES BY ERASING FINANCIALLY BURDENSOME MEDICAL DEBT WITH AN ON AVERAGE $1 DONATED ERASING $100 OF MEDICAL DEBT. 
          AND WHEREAS SEEING THE NEED IN CENTRAL TEXAS AND WANTING TO CREATE LONG-TERM POSITIVE CHANGE FOR MANY TEXANS, ELI YOYO LAUNCHED HIS 26 FOR 26 CAMPAIGN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UNDUE MEDICAL DEBT, WITH THE GOAL OF ELIMINATING $2.6 MILLION OF DEBT IN TRAVIS COUNTY IN AUGUST, 2026, WHICH BY THE WAY, HE HAS SURPASSED THAT GOAL, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE. 
          UM, WHEREAS ELI HAS RAISED OVER 32,000 FOR 26 FOR 26, WHICH HAS BEEN LEVERAGED BY UNDUE TO ELIMINATE $6.3 MILLION IN OUTSTANDING MEDICAL DEBT FOR 5,688 AUSTINITES. 
          I'M GONNA SAY THAT AGAIN FOR 5,688 AUSTINITES. 
          WHEREAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN TAKES PRIDE IN RECOGNIZING YOUNG LEADERS CREATING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE 
          [00:05:01]
IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          NOW, THEREFORE, I VANESSA FUENTES AUSTIN CITY COUNCILMAN, ALONGSIDE MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN MARK UCHIN, DO HEREBY ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR KIRK WATSON, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM FEBRUARY 11TH, 2026 AS 26 FOR 26 UNDO MEDICAL DAY IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND THEN, UM, MR. YOYO HERE WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, FIRST OFF, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE ENTIRE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, UM, ESPECIALLY COUNCIL MEMBERS, FUENTES AND UCHIN, UH, FOR THIS INCREDIBLE HONOR. 
          I NEVER THOUGHT WHENEVER I STARTED THIS FOUR YEARS AGO THAT I WOULD BE STANDING HERE. 
          UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK MY FAMILY, UH, MY PARENTS AND MY SISTER WHO HAVE STOOD WITH ME THIS ENTIRE TIME AND, AND SUPPORTED ME. 
          AND, UM, YEAH, LIKE, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I, I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE HERE, UH, FOUR YEARS AGO. 
          I'M, I'M AMAZED BY THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE HELPED ME OUT AND WHO ARE WILLING TO HELP OUT THEIR, THEIR NEIGHBORS IN AUSTIN. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I HOPE, I HOPE THIS WORK CONTINUES TO GET DONE. 
          AND I HOPE, AND I, AND I HOPE THAT ONE DAY MAYBE, UH, AUSTIN CITY AND UNDUE MEDICAL DEBT CAN CREATE A PARTNERSHIP TO CONTINUE THIS WORK FOR, FOR A A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          CONGRATULATIONS. 
          AND NOW WE'LL DO A LITTLE BETTER. 
          OKAY. 
          I DON'T WANNA STEP IN FRONT OF THE PODIUM. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          DID COURTNEY, DID YOU LOSE? HI. 
          HAPPY TO, BUT NO, NO, NO. 
          WE HAVE, OKAY. 
          SORRY Y'ALL, I DIDN'T SEE THAT. 
          SO, COURTNEY, PLEASE, WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE SPEAKERS. 
          YEP. 
          HAVE AT IT. 
          GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE. 
          MY NAME IS COURTNEY WARPY STORY AND I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES AT UNDUE MEDICAL DEBT. 
          I'M SO HONORED TO BE HERE REPRESENTING OUR ORGANIZATION AND EVERYONE AT UNDUE SEND THEIR CONGRATULATIONS ON THEIR APPRECIATION TO ELI, TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND TO YOUR FAMILY. 
          UNDUE WORKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO ABOLISH MEDICAL DEBT AND IN THIS CASE, WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SUPPORTING THE WORK. 
          ELI CHOSE TO LEAD HERE IN AUSTIN IN 2023. 
          HE SET AN AMBITIOUS GOAL, RAISED $26,000 BY GRADUATION TO ABOLISH MEDICAL DEBT IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND HE SURPASSED IT. 
          HE HAS RAISED OVER $33,300 TO DATE. 
          THOSE FUNDS WERE USED TO ABOLISH $6.3 MILLION IN MEDICAL DEBT FOR 5,688 PEOPLE IN TRAVIS COUNTY. 
          THAT IS THOUSANDS OF LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO EXPERIENCED MEDICAL DEBT THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE CHOICE TO INCUR WHOSE FINANCIAL BURDEN HAS CHANGED BECAUSE HE WAS COMMITTED TO THIS CAUSE. 
          ELI, CONGRATULATIONS. 
          THIS IS SUCH A MEANINGFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT AND WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE WHAT YOU TAKE ON NEXT. 
          IT'S NOW MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE ELI'S DAD, DR. 
          JEFF RIO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK, THANK YOU EVERYBODY, AND THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL, UM, PROCLAMATION FOR OUR SON. 
          AND WE'RE, UH, AS PARENTS, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE WE'RE JUST SO PROUD OF HIM AND ALL THE WORK THAT HE'S DONE AS A, AS A DOCTOR, IT'S, UH, MEDICAL DEBT, SOMETHING WE SEE A LOT. 
          WE SEE A LOT OF PATIENTS, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN EXPENSIVE DRUGS, DOING IMAGING, DOING LABS, ALL THESE SORT OF THINGS, GOING TO DOCTOR'S VISITS AND OFTEN MISSING OUT ON THOSE TYPES OF, UH, THINGS AND MISSING OUT ON MEDICAL CARE BECAUSE OF THE DEATH THAT THEY CAN, UH, ACCRUE OVER TIME. 
          AND SO, UM, WE'VE JUST BEEN AMAZED BY THE WORK THAT ELI HAS BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH OVER THESE LAST FOUR YEARS. 
          AND, UM, AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THIS TYPE OF WORK CAN CONTINUE HERE IN AUSTIN. 
          THANK YOU EVERYBODY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          OKAY. 
          AND WITH THAT, NOW WE'LL TAKE A GREAT PHOTO. 
          LEMME MAKE SURE THIS ONE'S FOR YOU. 
          YEAH. 
          I'M GONNA STEP IN FRONT OF THE PODIUM. 
          YES. 
          GREAT SEAT HERE IN THE MIDDLE. 
          YOU SURE? YEAH, OF COURSE. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          WE GO 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1. 
          ONE MORE. 
          THREE, TWO. 
          AWESOME. 
          3, 2, 1.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.