In 2014, Ashley gave birth to her son at just 35 weeks, 5 weeks short of full term. At first, everything seemed fine, but within moments, the situation turned critical. Her newborn turned blue and was rushed to the NICU. Just days later, doctors delivered devastating news: “We got informed he had one of the most […]
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Elizabeth Feldman, Iowa
Elizabeth Feldman’s journey with Medicaid began when she could barely get out of bed. Each morning brought the Iowa native more pain and less mobility. She propped pillows under her neck and shoulders just to sit upright. Once seated, she slid her legs off the bed and faced the daily challenge of standing and dressing. […]
Sarah, Oregon
Sarah lives in rural Oregon, where her family relies on Medicaid to survive. Her 19-year-old son is autistic, has ADHD, and lives with working memory impairment and slow processing. Basic tasks, like remembering to take medicine or drink water, require constant, hands-on support. Three years ago, Sarah became disabled due to multiple autoimmune and neuromuscular […]
Jesseca Lockie, Nevada
For Jesseca Lockie, a mother in Nevada, protecting her son’s life means navigating a complex and costly health care system. When her child was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder at eight months old, she quickly discovered that even with private insurance, essential treatments were financially out of reach. That’s when the Katie Beckett program […]
Sam Gwesinie, Minnesota
Since she was 17, Sam Gwesinie has relied on Medicaid to survive. Now 27, she’s a mother of two in Minnesota, managing multiple chronic health conditions while raising a young son with autism. Medicaid, she says, is what keeps her family afloat. “Medicaid is the heartbeat of my family,” Sam said. “Without it, we wouldn’t […]
Jennifer Coulibaly, Pennsylvania
Jennifer Coulibaly, her husband Emmanuel and their baby daughter Joy Gabriela live in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. After spending years overseas doing missionary work in West Africa, they recently returned home to continue their work and raise their young family. Their lives and health care are supported by programs that have become essential to their survival. […]
Sara Emerle, Pennsylvania
Sara Emerle knows firsthand what Medicaid means for families in crisis. In March 2022, her mother was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It’s a progressive condition that gradually takes away a person’s ability to move, speak, eat and eventually, breathe. Her mother lived just one year and eight months after the […]
Armond Dai, California
Armond Dai was building a promising career in architecture in Washington, DC when everything changed. After contracting COVID-19 twice, he developed a series of chronic illnesses that left him unable to work and desperate for answers. To this day Long COVID is not widely understood, and without clear lab results, qualifying for disability benefits became […]
Filipe Menezes, Maine
Filipe Menezes is an immigrant from Angola, Africa, who moved to the United States in 2014. He graduated from high school in 2013 and settled in Lewiston, Maine where he has lived for nearly a decade. In late 2019 Filipe received a diagnosis of schizophrenia. At that time, he qualified for MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid […]
Lydia Cruz, Colorado
Lydia Cruz lives in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District where Medicaid covers nearly one in three people. Living with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a genetic connective tissue disorder that affects her joints, digestive tract, and vascular systems, Lydia faces complex and chronic health issues every single day. She currently receives coverage through both Medicare and Medicaid as […]