MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Democrat John Edwards kicked off 36 hours of around-the-clock campaigning in New Hampshire on Sunday.

It's the same strategy he used in Iowa that resulted in a narrow second-place finish. Edwards said the goal is to meet as many voters as possible and communicate his message of change.

"The choice is between two candidates of change but very different approaches of change," Edwards said, referring to Hillary Clinton, but not mentioning her by name.

At a rally focused on health care, Edwards heard the story of the Sarkizian family. Hilda Sarkizian said that her 17-year-old daughter, Nataline, died last month while her insurance company dragged its feet about covering her liver transplant.

"I'm here for her and for every kid and mom and dad out there," Hilda Sarkizian said. "We have to make a change. We have to vote for the perfect president."

Edwards said that he would fight for changes to the health care system to help people in similar circumstances.

"I have been in the trenches on this fight my entire adult life," he said. "The very interests we are talking about that are stopping health care, for example. I've been fighting these people my entire life."

Edwards said that while some plans among the candidates might seem similar, he is willing to fight harder.

"Do you want somebody who has the right ideas and philosophy and the fight to bring about the change? Because that's what this is about," he said. "Those are the choices that are going to be made."

The word "change" was mentioned dozens of times during the hour-long rally in Manchester. In the first 30 seconds alone, he mentioned it five times. He said it's a message he'll continue over the next couple of days.