Sarah
Sarah’s daughter, Jessi, was diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis complex disorder at five months old. Her condition causes epilepsy, autism, kidney disease, developmental disabilities, development of tumors and cysts on all of Jessi’s organs, and a lung condition. Sarah...
Kory
Kory cares for his 6-year-old son, Asher, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy type 1. He has a trach, a G-tube, and sleeps with a ventilator at night. He is able to move around on his own with mobility devices but needs help to and from those devices. When Kory and...
Julie
Julie is the mother of twin boys with Down syndrome. Medicaid home and community-based services have been a lifeline for her family, covering essential medical costs through the Katie Beckett waiver and offering critical supports like respite care and Community...
Dianne | Green Bay, Wisconsin
I am his primary caregiver.
Anita
When Anita’s mother’s health started to decline, Anita retired early to provide her with personalized care. Anita’s mom is blind, has dementia, and is battling three types of cancer in different stages. Melanoma on the bottom of her foot has caused mobility issues and...
Abena
Abena’s husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2013, shortly after she became pregnant with their first child. Her husband lived with his tumor for a little over four years before passing away. Abena did almost everything for him, from managing his medication...
Allen
In 2016, Allen and his wife adopted three sibling sisters from India and began the process of building a loving home. Tragedy struck in 2018 when Allen’s wife discovered that she had Stage IV cancer. Sadly, after a short but “hard shot” battle, she passed away in...
Shawn
Shawn has been caring for her veteran husband for 7 years and is an integral part of his care team. Her husband told her about his PTSD and recovering from alcoholism on their very first date. However, Shawn did not fully understand the extent of his condition and its...
Rona
Rona lives in rural Oklahoma and is the mother of three children. Her youngest child is a 13-year-old with Down syndrome. Her daughter is non-verbal and has significant intellectual disabilities. She can’t be left unattended. Though Rona feels fortunate that she and...
Jennifer M.
Jennifer M. is a caregiver for her younger brother, who was wounded in Iraq in 2005, and her mother, who suffered a stroke in 2007. Jennifer feels that early intervention for caregivers is important because it can help alleviate some of the negative impacts, both...
Leslie
Now in their 80s, Les and his wife have been together since they were 16 years old. In 2014, his wife began having cognitive impairments and, through several tests, it was determined that she had Alzheimer’s disease. Her diagnosis was caught early. Over time, as her...