PHILADELPHIA. For Antoinette Kraus, the reform effort means more than just rallies.

For two years, the 27-year-old Norristown resident has worked as a statewide organizer for the Philadelphia Unemployment Project and the Pennsylvania Health Access Network to push coverage of uninsured Pennsylvanians to the forefront of the Legislature's agenda.

"Health care is a very personal issue for me," Kraus said. "My mother has epilepsy and has had it since she was eight or nine years old. I’ve seen my parents struggle with health care whether it was the hassle with insurance companies or other issues."

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin's prediction Friday that a health care bill including the public option could pass Congress before Christmas was encouraging news for advocates, although several hurdles remain, including reconciling bills in the House and Senate.

Despite what some consider a shrinking window of opportunity, Kraus has vowed to keep fighting.

"I’m willing to fight until the process is done," she said.