View the Latest: Profiles

Caleb Garcia, age 5, was born with impaired hearing and vision, developmental delays, and physical disabilities, all due to a virus that his mother contracted during her pregnancy. Caleb’s father, Manuel, credits his son’s unexpected progress to the care he has been receiving since birth through Medicaid. Caleb needs specialist care, physical, speech, and occupational therapy, medical equipment, and prescription medications. Particularly important to Manuel, who is a single working parent, is nursing care that…

Tina Witowsky, age 20, suffered a brain trauma, similar to a massive stroke, four years ago. Following months of critical care, multiple surgeries, and intensive rehabilitation, Tina was able to come home, but she needs extensive in-home services and supports, which her private health insurance stopped covering. Without Medicaid, Tina’s mother would have had to move Tina into a nursing home, or leave her job to care for Tina full-time, sell her house, and find…

Latrita McFadden noticed from the beginning that her son, Anthony Burke, always walked on his tiptoes. He began to complain that his knees hurt, but doctor after doctor said he would grow out of it. Anthony fared well enough until he started school, where he was taunted about his walk as well as a speech impairment. He became withdrawn in class and his first-grade teacher held him back. Things changed dramatically when Anthony enrolled in…

Patricia Clark, now 86, went into the hospital about four years ago for a hip replacement. Patricia had had health problems over the years, but was doing well at the time, except that her declining mobility was making it increasingly difficult to live independently. Her doctors expected her to fare better with a new hip. Unfortunately, Patricia suffered a debilitating stroke in surgery and was left unable to get around on her own or live…