Marcelas Owens spent his 11th birthday on the steps of Capital Hill campaigning for health care reform.

His mother died of pulmonary hypertension and now the fifth-grader is continuing the fight she no longer can.

"I came out here for health care, I got involved because my mom was a health care activist, she testified and participated in rallies. She wanted people to have health care and not wait till management level to be offered health care," said Marcelas.

"I believe that if she did have her health care, she would be recovering a little at a time," he said of his mother, who lost her job, along with her health care, after she got sick.

Individuals like Owens, and his story, are part of a campaign used by both Democrats and Republicans to argue their sides of the healthcare argument.

Republicans have stressed that healthcare reform would be detrimental to families like Owens’, they say the Democratic plan would do little to control spiraling medical costs and would result in higher premiums and pass on higher taxes to middle income earners.

For Marcelas, the issue is simply personal.

"I don't want any other kid to go through the pain that our family has gone through," he said, his voice cracked with emotion. "Health care is not a privilege, it's a right," he said.