Jennifer & JM Passons
High school sweethearts Jennifer and James Monroe “JM” Passons have been happily married for 32 years. Born and raised in Tennessee, the Passons have built a life rooted in family and hard work. Together they have three children and seven grandchildren. Shortly after getting married, Jennifer and JM started their own cattle farm together. Alongside running the farm, JM runs an excavating business, and Jennifer is a Physical Therapist Assistant at their local hospital.
The Passons' youngest daughter is Jenna. Jenna, now 24 years old, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, developmental delays, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at a young age. As her mom puts it, “Jenna is a fighter. She wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t.” Growing up, Jenna loved to watch her brothers play baseball and to float in lazy rivers with her mom while on vacation. When asked to describe Jenna’s personality, Jennifer affectionately responded, “Jenna is a very loving person. She can be a little moody if she doesn’t get her way, but I guess that’s everyone sometimes.” Jenna has an extremely close and special relationship with her dad.
She’ll often play a game with JM, pretending to ignore him for a minute before giving in to his love and affection.
Over the years, Jenna’s condition has progressed. Today, she is on a ventilator full-time and requires nursing care. Despite this reality, TennCare sent the Passons a devastating notice in the fall of 2023 that Jenna’s private duty nursing (PDN) hours would be reduced. TennCare argued it would be less expensive for Jenna to enter a nursing home. The argument overlooked that Jenna would need to be in a special long-term care facility with one-on-one care, which would actually cost more.
Although Jenna is privately insured through her mom’s work, she relies on TennCare as secondary support for her complex medical needs. Jennifer explained the gravity of TennCare’s decision for their family: “Either we don’t sleep and work or cut hours at work and lose [our private] health care benefits. What were we supposed to do?” After consulting with several attorneys who couldn't offer a solution, the Passons turned to the Tennessee Justice Center. Attorney Emily Jenkins immediately took on their case. With her extensive knowledge of Medicaid and her relentless determination, Emily fought to keep Jenna’s PDN hours.
Looking ahead, the Passons’ biggest hope for Jenna’s future is simply “to be able to keep her at home.” With the Passons’ advocacy for Jenna and TJC’s support, this hope is still a reality. The Passons have proven to be committed to fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves. The Tennessee Justice Center is honored to recognize Jennifer and JM Passons as Caregivers of the Year for their unwavering commitment to their daughter, Jenna.
Photo by John St. Clair
