47-year-old Tamira Moon served as the director of health equity and diversity initiatives for the Association for State and Territorial Health Officials, an organization funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On July 31, 2025, that work ended when, as she put it, “our entire team was reduced in workforce.” A single woman […]
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Carry Smith, Georgia
Carry Smith, a 42-year-old from the Savannah area of Georgia, spent years as a competitive distance runner. While she has lost count of how many races she’s competed in, her mom will tell you she ran 17 full marathons and 10 half marathons, plus countless 5Ks and 3Ks. She was a voter advocate, a community […]
Steve Reyes, Florida
61-year-old Steve Reyes lives in Broward County, Florida, where he works in aircraft sales. He first got involved in the health care fight when he answered an email from Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s office asking to talk about the issue, because his premium had “shot through the roof.” He went to a meeting with other […]
Jacklyn Parker, Nebraska
39-year-old Jacklyn Parker grew up in Omaha and after training at Nebraska Methodist College she spent five years working as a phlebotomist at Nebraska Medicine, work she loved. After three back surgeries made inpatient phlebotomy too difficult to continue, she left the field. “I took a leap of faith and got into insurance, left phlebotomy, […]
Sarah Gardner, Maine
30-year-old Sarah Gardner lives in Lisbon, Maine, with her nine-year-old daughter, Olivia. After years of working in restaurants and taking on temporary nine-to-five jobs, in January 2025, she launched her own business, Quintessence Photography. That decision to become self-employed reshaped how she accesses health care and put her on a path she is still trying […]
Lynn Weidner, Pennsylvania
Lynn Weidner is a home care worker in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She is 43 years old, and at any given moment, she is likely doing the work of three people. During the day, she cares for her two-year-old niece. Simultaneously, she manages her mother’s medications, doctor’s appointments, and daily needs — her mother lives with them […]
Susan Alleman, Nebraska
Susan Alleman is a 57-year-old resident of Lincoln, Nebraska, who spent most of her adult life uninsured and hoping for the best. Raised in New Orleans, she earned a master’s degree in mental health counseling before finding her true calling in social justice and anti-war advocacy, spending 25 years working for a peace and justice […]
Mariah Plante, West Virginia
Mariah Plante works full time in rural Wyoming County, West Virginia, while serving as the primary caregiver for her older brother, Matt. Matt is legally blind, has nonverbal autism, and needs help with nearly every aspect of daily life. For Mariah, Medicaid is not an abstract government program. It is the reason her brother gets […]
Colleen Tommins Leard, Pennsylvania
Colleen Tommins Leard, a 58-year-old living in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, understands the health care system from both sides. She trained as a surgical technician and spent years working in the operating room. Today, she works as a consultant in educational settings, helping hospitals partner with schools and contributing to legislative efforts related to health care. But […]
Nancy Weaver, North Carolina
Nancy Weaver lives in Ashe County, North Carolina, in the far corner of the state where Tennessee and Virginia meet. She is a fiber artist and weaver who has spent her career making shawls and dish towels, and she has spent much of her adult life navigating the health care system without insurance. In 2008, […]