Harsh reality

"They ain't worried about the miners or people in West Virginia or coal miners anywhere. All they're worried about is the almighty dollar in DC. They don't care about the little people that put them there," he said.

"I feel like in our part of the country … we're kinda forgotten about," said John Robinson, a former miner from Nickelsville, Virginia, who uses a walking stick and oxygen after being diagnosed with the disease 12 years ago at age 47. "I don't think it's right."

Agencies Via Xinhua