Áine deDanaan has a Master of Divinity from Pacific School Of Religion. She is a certified InterPlayer and Ensoulment Coach living in Keene.

My younger daughter, Anna, whose name I’ve changed to honor her privacy, was born with a chromosomal anomaly. She has received support and services through Medicaid since she was born.

This child is a light in people’s lives, inviting strangers and other people suffering with physical and mental health challenges to feel cared about. Many people share that she puts a smile on their faces and is a highlight of their days. This from a child who was born in a body that knew how to experience pain and discomfort before knowing anything else.

Anna was born with spinal anomalies that caused her to react to any airway congestion with asthma, and she was unable to chew or swallow foods that were not completely smooth until having a spinal surgery at the age of 18.5 months. It took a long time to learn what some of her challenges were, because some issues were very well-hidden, creating a complex of problems.

She also presented with spina bifida occulta, which required surgery before impacting her mobility. The spina bifida occulta does impact bowel motility such that she needs a daily regimen of medication and supplements to avoid debilitating and dangerous constipation.

My daughter was born with hearing loss, such that she was determined to benefit from hearing aids as well as speech and language pathology. Without these resources, she would have challenges hearing and being understood, even by the people who are closest to her.

As she was not meeting developmental milestones by the time she was three months old, early supports and intervention services were provided for us through Rise for Baby and Family in Keene, including physical therapy, speech pathology, ASL family instruction, OT and feeding and swallowing help. In those early months, it became apparent that she needed care from medical specialists.

Due to her constellation of challenges, including motor planning difficulties, and her unquenchable curiosity about the world, Anna had broken bones in her arms a total of ten times by the age of 10. Normal activities, in spite of our best efforts to protect her, often brought injury.

These events were emotionally and physically taxing on us all. Without her medicaid support, even with primary private insurance in place, this could have bankrupted our family.

In a school setting, Anna experiences global developmental delays, requiring 1-to-1 support for safety and learning purposes. She is eligible for integral supports, such as speech and language, PT, OT and individualized instruction. With these, she is learning, growing and blossoming. Public school receives some reimbursement from Medicaid for these services, helping provide the educational support that Anna requires to become the best possible human being she was born to be.

Currently, our family is facing the awful experience of our primary income earner — my husband, the father to my two daughters — being unemployed. This unemployment came as part of random selection for lay-offs from CVS, which culled employees to be sure that shareholder profit margins would not be harmed by financial challenges.

For a family with a disabled child, the impact of this is drastic.

My husband works tirelessly, with sleepless nights and long hours, to find new employment. The job market for his field is painfully tight. Soon we will find ourselves in need of Medicaid access until he is able to find new employment. Considering our ages and varied medical needs, one of the lifelines for our family of four may be Medicaid.

I know we are not the only family impacted in these ways. Some stories are even more severe.

No human should go without the dignity of healthy food, a safe home and access to health care. Sometimes people need help. Some people are born needing more support than others.

All of these people contribute light, joy and happiness to their communities. All of these people have value.

The elephant in the room is why the masses of people who cannot afford these cuts to critical social safety nets need to pay for massive tax cuts for the wealthiest and corporations. The current agenda is the most heartless and unconscionable budget and tax plan I believe I have ever witnessed.

If my neighbor is okay, then I am okay. Right now, my neighbors are in fear, and my family is experiencing fear. To those in positions of authority and decision-making, please consider ethical values, the values we are taught are American values as well as Christian values.

Do not induce more suffering.

Rather, I implore you to seek ways to deliver more stability, grace and dignity to every human being’s life.