This Mother’s Day, I was encouraged by MomsRising to use my outside voice to tell this administration and Congressional leaders about public policies that improve family life—such as equal pay for meaningful work and access to Medicaid, SNAP, public education, special education, Head Start, and quality childcare. 

What’s your why for using your outside voice for advocacy?

Ours is healthcare, public education, special education, and early intervention. Specifically, having access to a fully funded ACA, supplemental Medicaid, top notch medical care, and early intervention has been lifesaving to our family and many others today in America.  When I was 22 weeks pregnant with my son, I went into my sonogram, excited, wondering what new things I'd learn, only to find out that I was 4 centimeters dilated and in painless labor. Two weeks of bedrest later, our amazing Andrew entered the world at 24 weeks gestation, weighing 1 pound and 13 ounces.

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After an 89 day NICU hospital stay, our son came home.  By the grace of God, innovative science, and an incredible team of doctors and nurses, he grew and thrived but still needed:

• monitoring with medical equipment, such as oxygen, a heart monitor, and a pulse oximeter;

• medical care and monitoring from medical specialists, such as cardiologists, pulmonologists, and ophthalmologists;

• support from specialized teachers, such as physical therapists, to help him learn to roll over, sit, crawl, and walk, and feeding therapists, to help him learn to drink and eat.

I share all of this because while it was at times terrifying, I and my husband were able to focus on truly seeing, being, and parenting Andrew because we were not lying awake at night, wondering how we were going to claw our way out of crushing medical debt (~$149K for a NICU stay and ~20k for hospital bedrest and high risk maternity care).  

We were able to hold our son’s hand, and marvel at its grip, even if his hand only spanned our fingernail, because we knew the ACA’s provisions would not allow our private insurance to kick our son off its care. 

We were able to listen to our doctors, with all of our faculties, and take in their words and recommendations because we knew that whatever appointments, equipment, or supplies our private insurance might not cover, our supplemental Medicaid would.  The ability to focus on our child, his needs, and his incredible growth during a medical crisis, rather than be consumed by financial instability was a Godsend.  I am truly grateful to the ACA, Medicaid, our incredible medical team, and his wonderful early intervention teachers (whose special education services were reimbursed utilizing Medicaid and contributed to our state-based early intervention budget, by the way!).  The ability to access quality healthcare and early intervention helped our son grow in health,body, and mind. 

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And now Andrew is in kindergarten!  He loves to read, play math games, climb trees, turn over rocks in search of bugs, explore nature, ride his scooter, and score goals while playing soccer with his Dad.  He eats all the foods, but loves breakfast foods the most.  He can be found, in the quiet stillness of early mornings, helping me set the table, make water cups for his sisters, and talking about the day ahead of us.  The child we almost lost on a couple of occasions–our little miracle man– simply and effortlessly breathes, thinks, and is the person he is meant to be: beautifully and wonderfully made.

Unfortunately, House Representatives voted and narrowly passed a budget reconciliation bill 215-214 that prioritizes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts for billionaires over families health, education, and financial well-being.  Without affordable healthcare, many American families are one medical emergency away from financial catastrophe. This thought haunts me, and propels me to fiercely advocate for the ACA and Medicaid, which are lifesaving to parents, infants, children, and seniors. 

I call on all families to reach out to their U.S. Senators and demand a tax bill that prioritizes families over billionaires.  You can call the U.S. Capitol switchboard (202) 224-3121 or visit congress.gov/contact-us to find your U.S. Senator’s direct line.  Urge them to vote NO on any budget reconciliation bill that includes cuts to Medicaid and takes away health and prosperity away from everyday American families.  Demand they prioritize families over billionaires today!

Andrew’s Medicaid story, in his own words: momsrising.soapboxx.us/video/67f0508491045cfa13640723

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Take action:

• Sign a petition: action.momsrising.org/sign/2025_Hands_Off_Medicaid/?source=blog 

• Call legislators: actionnetwork.org/call_campaigns/tell-your-representative-to-protect-medicaid/?source=blog

• Write a letter to Editors: momsrising.org/blog/send-a-letter-to-the-editor-to-say-hands-off-medicaid