Marcous, a sweet, faith-filled 11-year-old boy, lives in a multigenerational home in Davidson County. He finds comfort in his faith and joy in reading and playing games. Marcous lives with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare genetic condition that mostly affects boys. Duchenne is a progressive condition with no cure. By ages 10-12, three out of four children with Duchenne lose the ability to walk. By age 20, people with Duchenne usually start experiencing heart and lung compl

In January 2026, Nan Glenn from Williamson County reached out to the Tennessee Justice Center (TJC) for help with her daughter’s TennCare renewal. Her daughter, like all little kids, is a happy, joyful little girl who loves music and dance. She lives with multiple complex medical conditions, including Sotos syndrome and a congenital heart defect. Her medical journey has been long and complicated, requiring care from numerous specialists. She receives 60 hours of highly specia

Breanne and Kris Hammons have been married for 16 years and are raising four children in Williamson County, Tennessee. Both Breanne and Kris live with different forms of dwarfism, and two of their children do as well. At the heart of their home is Zacchaeus, their bright-eyed, spirited 9-year-old son with a story unlike any other. Endearingly named after the “wee little man” from one of their favorite Bible stories, Zacchaeus was born with a rare condition: he inherited both

TJC helped Alyssa's family apply for and ultimately enroll in the Katie Beckett Waiver, a Medicaid program that allows Tennessee children with significant medical needs to receive care at home rather than in an institutional setting. While the Katie Beckett Waiver provides critical support to families, its enrollment process lacks synchronization and uniformity. TJC helped Finley successfully secure a spot on the waitlist.

Did you know that TennCare Medicaid covers 50% of births in Tennessee? For thousands of pregnant women, Medicaid provides essential prenatal and postpartum coverage, allowing expecting and new mothers to focus on what matters most—their health and the health of their baby. One TennCare beneficiary is Tiairah, a proud daughter, sister, and new mother. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, as well as hobbies like bowling, go-karting, and, as she puts it, "anything f

In 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in the United States 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men experience sexual violence, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime. Nearly 43.5 million women and 20.7 million men are victims of interpersonal violence at some point in their lives in this country alone. This abuse can come in many different forms. Interpersonal violence can happen anywhere, across any age, race,

For 15 years, Elisabeth was a church pianist without health insurance. She had always embraced a healthy lifestyle, so when she qualified for Medicaid in 2014, she had no idea it would end up saving her life. In early 2015, Elisabeth began experiencing troubling symptoms— confusion, depression, and eventually seizures. When a small bump to the head led to a major seizure, tests revealed a large brain tumor pressing on the upper right hemisphere of her brain. The diagnosis:

Georgia* lives in East Tennessee with her husband and their three kids. The family keeps busy. “It’s chaos,” Georgia laughs. “My husband and I are nonstop—we both work full-time. I’m actually on the way to my son’s basketball game right now.” Georgia and her husband work hard to give their kids a joyful childhood. She reflects on the journey that brought her here: “My life growing up was very different from what my kids have now. The experiences my kids are getting? I’m exper

Across the country, Americans feel the healthcare affordability crisis. Emergencies are expensive for uninsured people, and even those who are insured face high costs for various treatments and prescriptions. In Tennessee, approximately 10% of the population is uninsured (700,000 people), 1.4 million people are on Medicaid , 600,000 are insured through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace , and the rest are privately insured. Nearly three million Tennesseans—those uni

If it were not for TennCare Medicaid, Toni Corbin— recognized as a TJC Mother of the Year in 2018 —would not be able to care for her multigenerational household. While she jokes that her home is a little dysfunctional, it is also full of love — and chickens that keep her on her toes. Toni’s home is bustling with life. Her son, granddaughter, great-grandchildren, and even her aging mother all live under one roof. With her own health challenges, including severe arthritis and c

For Andrea, a hardworking single mom of twin boys born prematurely, Medicaid has been a force for good. Andrea’s sons were born at just 31 weeks, over two months premature, weighing in at just four pounds. The twins spent 37 nerve-wracking days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for extra support as they continued to develop outside of the womb. They were enrolled in TennCare when they were about 5 months old and have had TennCare ever since. James and Matthew were di

Research shows that only one in four people recovering from substance use disorders avoid relapse, and fewer than one in five outpatient participants stay sober for a full year. Destiny Thompson is part of the determined minority who has beaten those odds. At 33, Destiny Thompson has entirely rewritten the course of her life. For 18 years, Destiny struggled with opioid addiction. Her battle led her in and out of jail, and it eventually cost her custody of her children. The he

17-year-old Christopher Thielges from East Tennessee almost always has a big smile across his face. He’s a student at Signal Mountain High School who loves photography and spending time with his peers. His mom, Lowry Thielges, agrees that “his smile and his laugh are what people love most about him.” Christopher was born prematurely with Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy, a physical disability that affects his upper and lower body mobility. He navigates the world in a wheel

William “Willy” Bruce of Parsons, Tennessee, loved football, physics, and math. He was working toward a degree in Graphic Design at the University of Tennessee, and he was a father of two sons. Willy passed away from a fatal asthma attack in 2024. He was 25 years old. At the time of his death, Willy was uninsured. He had lost coverage after he turned 21 and aged out of child benefits. He no longer fell into one of the very limited categories of coverage Tennessee provid

No family should lose access to care because of a system failure, and no individual should require legal intervention to receive the health benefits to which they are entitled under law. Charles B’s experience is demonstrative of the harm caused by these failures. Charles, a husband and father, was diagnosed with an exceedingly rare and aggressive cancer at just 28 years old. Standard treatments were not sufficient. His medical team recommended an aggressive course of care: h

Kathryn is the executive director of a nonprofit , and her husband runs his own small business. Together, they’re raising three wonderful kids and navigating the daily whirlwind of school, sports, and family life. Like all families, they work hard to provide the best childhood for their kids. And like all families, they need access to healthcare. Kathryn's daughter is an avid athlete with a rare genetic disorder which requires monthly infusions, frequent visits to specialist

As the co-owner of a tattoo shop in Lafayette, Tennessee, and the mother of twin boys with complex medical needs, Shayela Ankenbauer understands what it means to juggle work, parenting, and the high cost of healthcare. For her and her husband, affordable coverage through the Marketplace—made possible by the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (EPTCs)—is the only thing that keeps her insured. “Before getting on the Marketplace, we didn’t have insurance,” Shayela explained. “When I wa

For Kim Battinelli, life changed drastically in the fall of 2020. Just a year after losing her father to cancer, her husband of nearly...

April Eaves lives in Rutherford County with her husband, Jason, and three children, Emery, Avery, and Aaron. Before becoming pregnant...

TennCare Medicaid gives people the opportunity to live fully after tragedy. Gerald Christian— born and raised in Savannah, Tennessee— now...