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Donna

Photo by Mark Mosrie

Six-year-old Chase Addington is developmentally delayed and has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus. He cannot sit up, and he doesn't walk or talk.  Chase needed home health care — to administer medicines, manage his tube feedings, and make sure he’s safe.  By federal law, children on TennCare, like Chase, should receive all the medical care they require.  However, Donna needed to fight for two years to get home health care for her son.

In her fight to obtain the care that Chase required, Donna talked with his doctor, filed an appeal with TennCare, and bravely wrote a letter about her family’s situation, which was published in the local paper.  Her words spoke for so many parents struggling to get care for their children; currently more than 670,000 children rely on TennCare for their health care.

Searching to find some way to help her son, Donna also called the Tennessee Justice Center.  TJC staff members told her about new TennCare home health rules, gave her advice about getting a nurse when Chase needed one, and explained Chase’s rights.  With TJC’s help, she was finally was able to secure a home health care nurse for her son.

“Being armed with knowledge of my son’s rights made it possible for me to get the care he needed,” said Donna.  “I’d do anything I could to help other families avoid the pain we have suffered because TennCare wouldn't provide what Chase needed.”

Read about other opposition to Tennessee's health care policies.

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