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Don’t Cut Bailey’s Lifeline

On Wednesday, July 6th, the Brandt family from Springfield, Virginia joined The Arc and other families that would be affected by Medicaid cuts in a meeting with key staff at the White House. The purpose of the meeting is for the White House to hear how Medicaid cuts would affect each family’s circumstances as President Obama continues to engage in deficit reduction talks.

Carrin and Mitchell Brandt are parents of 10-year-old Bailey, who has an intractable (uncontrolled) seizure disorder, cerebral palsy, a history of aspiration and significant global delays. Bailey needs assistance and support with all daily living and recreational activities, and Medicaid helps pay for it. She has a shunt, a G-tube, and uses a communication device. Bailey has had more than five seizures daily, and Medicaid paid for her brain surgery to remove her left hemisphere for better seizure control. Medicaid has paid for over fifteen seizure medications, one of which was over $1,000 for a one week supply. She has had orthopedic issues, including a hip displacement and a leg length discrepancy. When Bailey grows older, she will need Medicaid for long-term support needs, such as residential and day support.

“If we lost Medicaid, it would jeopardize my husband’s small business, and one of us would have to give up our jobs. Bailey’s life and health could dramatically change, as she wouldn’t be able to participate in our community and continue to grow to be as independent as possible. We don’t want to ever see our daughter living in an institution, but without Medicaid, we don’t know what our future holds,” said Carrin Brandt.

Take Action

Find out more on the potential cuts to Medicaid and The Arc’s Don’t Cut Our Lifeline campain. Take action and tell your elected officials “Don’t Cut Our Lifeline!”

About the Video

This video was produced and edited for The Arc by INFOCUS NEWS, a supported employment program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The primary goal of “INFOCUS NEWS” is to provide employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have been trained in various aspects of video news production; from writing news scripts, to anchoring/reporting stories, camera operation, video editing, lighting, sound engineering, and studio management.