Helping Shannon

"Medicaid saved my life." 12-year-old Shannon got out of her wheelchair and stood on her own. It was a simple but powerful statement.

When she was younger, doctors said she wouldn't be able to walk or talk. But last week Shannon and three other Easter Seals families did talk with White House aides about how Medicaid helped fund the therapies that got them to where they are today.

The visit to the White House comes at a critical juncture in the federal budget talks. Now, we need to make sure officials in the White House know we stand with them as they push Congress to protect programs for people with disabilities.

Add your voice to Shannon's today – we must get through to key decision-makers in Washington now, before a budget deal is made.

The White House and Congress are negotiating a budget deal that includes a dangerous and costly measure that would hurt 60 million American families: cutting federal funding for Medicaid. So we need to speak out today.

Medicaid is the only health insurance program that offers many of the critical services for adults and children living with disabilities. Many private insurance plans only offer coverage for one month of services when a child needs year-round coverage. Just ask the families who visited the White House on behalf of Easter Seals:

• Shannon, age 12, living with Cerebral Palsy. With therapies paid for by Medicaid, Shannon is more independent, which made it possible for her mother to go back to work.
• Al, age 8, living with Down Syndrome and a heart condition. Medicaid provided Al with physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Now, he is attending public school.
• Rebeka, age 5, and Chelsy, age 3, living with various disabilities. Medicaid helped Rebeka and Chelsy's family meet their many medical needs, including Rebeka's feeding tube and therapies to learn to walk and chew.

To families like these, the loss of Medicaid would mean sacrificing their future. We can't let this happen. The White House has heard from three Easter Seals families; now they need to hear from the rest of the extended Easter Seals family.

Join Shannon and all Easter Seals families by taking action to prevent these potentially disastrous cuts.

Don't wait. We can't stop speaking out for vulnerable children and families when their lives are on the line. Thank you for taking action at this important moment.

Sincerely,

Katy Beh Neas
Easter Seals