Eight years ago, Wal-Mart associate Debbie Shank’s minivan was broadsided by a semi-trailer truck. She survived the accident, but both her life and health were shattered. Debbie suffered severe brain damage, forever losing her short-term memory. Once an able-bodied mother of three, Debbie now requires around-the-clock care in a nursing home.

Debbie Shank was on a Wal-Mart health insurance plan, but it simply wasn’t enough to cover the expenses of a woman in need of permanent 24-hour care. So, the Shanks filed a suit against the trucking company, which was settled for about $1 million. After legal fees and miscellaneous expenses, the Shanks were left with $417,000. That’s when Wal-Mart decided things weren’t quite bad enough for the Shanks.

Wal-Mart sued the Shanks for $470,000: the amount covered by Debbie’s health benefits. Since the fine print of Wal-Mart's health care plan allowed the company to sue its associates for damages they earn in court, the law was, amazingly, on Wal-Mart's side.

In March of 2008, the mainstream media began running with the story, villanizing Wal-Mart for its apalling treatment of a former employee. Wal-Mart was finally forced to act responsibly, or face a growing public relations meltdown. On April 1st, Wal-Mart sent a letter to Jim Shank, officially withdrawing its claim to the Shank Family's settlement.

After years of being dragged through the courts, the Shanks can finally begin to piece their lives back together. We couldn't be happier for Debbie and her family. But, we still can't forget the other Wal-Mart associates who have been treated unfairly by Wal-Mart.

Let's not forget Olga Sanchez, who lost her job because Wal-Mart wouldn't let her see her son before he was deployed to Iraq; or Sean Thornton, who lost his job while he was on active duty. We can't let Wal-Mart forget the 1.6 million women involved in the largest certified gender discrimination lawsuit in history.

Through the Shanks' story, we've shown America that everyday people can change the world's largest retailer. That's an amazing thing. Let's keep pressure on Wal-Mart to change and, hopefully, we'll see better things to come for Wal-Mart's associates.