Health
Possible cuts to Medicaid spell hardship for this family
Jason Stein is a nine-year-old disabled boy who lives with his parents in central Florida and depends on assistance provided by the government healthcare program for medical services, therapies and medications.
"Jason's diagnosis is pretty vast", says Jeff, Jason's father. "He's a very severe boy and he touches on a lot of different things. When he was two-years-old he has diagnosed with Autism. He gets Medicaid. Those benefits are vital to the survival of our family. I don't know what I would do without the programs that I have now." The health bill is extremely unpopular and has only a 17% approval rating according to a recent survey.
Ana María Rodríguez
Jason's mother, Jennifer Stein, begins her day at 4:00 in the morning. "Jason gets up screaming very early. I try to calm him down and wake up my husband, make breakfast, and start preparing him to go to school. When he returns, we bathe him between the two of us. Jason has a lot of strength, I can not do it alone." The cutbacks in federal funding for Medicaid have been among the most criticized pieces of the health plan proposed by Republicans, who have been forced to delay a vote on the law due to growing opposition within the party.
Eulimar Núñez
On weekends Jason's parents take him to the pool, where he de-stresses. He loves swimming and diving. Many of his therapies are in the water. "When I go to work, when I work in a school, it's very difficult for me, because I see all the regular children who don't have special needs, who are my son's age every day," says Jason.
Eulimar Núñez
In addition to Medicaid, Jason receives Social Security Income (SSI), another resource for handicapped children with limited resources. This money covers other expenses such as diapers and medications (for example, Topamax, which helps prevent seizures).
Eulimar Núñez
At age 9, Jason has developed allergies to dust and various foods: peanut butter, eggs and other dairy products, nuts and soy.
Eulimar Núñez
"The house is like a battlefield," says Jennifer. Jason dirties a lot of clothes and sheets. But at home you can see that he is comfortable: he walks, plays with his stuffed animals and laughs, and is familiar with every corner of the house.
Ana María Rodríguez
"Sometimes I feel like a wizard trying to balance the bills," says Jeff, who complements his work as a schoolteacher by driving for Uber or Uber Eats. It's very little extra money, he says.
Eulimar Núñez
"Iit's like a time machine, the baby stage never ended," says Jason's mom. "Being able to keep him with us at home is one of the possibilities that I value most. We are shaken by the situation with Trump, who wants to cut off aid to the most vulnerable. All the time you are thinking 'please let somebody reach out and stop it.'"
Ana María Rodríguez
Jason needs to be accompanied practically 24 hours a day. In the image: holes that he has left in the walls of the house.
Ana María Rodríguez
"When Jason was a baby, you could tell he was not crawling, something was wrong. We had to wait to start getting answers," says his mom. The child also suffers from autism, epilepsy and a gastrointestinal disorder called GERD.
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