Angel P. of Greenville, North Carolina, knew from the beginning that she wanted to build a family rooted in love and stability. After college, she and her longtime partner planned carefully, waiting until they had full-time jobs before welcoming their daughter, Marleigh, into the world. Angel brought to motherhood not only her own experience, but also her professional background as a social worker, mental health specialist, and Medicaid educator.
A Crisis in the Final Weeks
Despite doing everything right, her final month of pregnancy brought unexpected danger. Though she had been healthy throughout, her blood pressure began to spike in the final weeks. Thanks to her involvement in the Nurse-Family Partnership, Angel had a strong advocate in Nurse Cherri, who urged her to go to the hospital again and again. Each time, hospital staff dismissed the severity of her condition. But Nurse Cherri persisted.
At 37 weeks and 6 days, Angel was finally admitted with dangerously high blood pressure. She delivered her daughter the next morning. Angel is confident that without Medicaid, she and Marleigh might not have survived. She could not have afforded the repeated hospital visits without it. Medicaid gave her the freedom to prioritize her and her baby’s health without fear of financial ruin.
From Survival to Advocacy
Today, Angel is working part-time and searching for a new opportunity after being forced to leave her previous job due to a lack of maternity leave, even while she was hospitalized. She knows firsthand what it means to fall into the gap between work and wellness. Even as she juggles part-time work and parenthood, she is grateful her baby has access to health care.
Angel wants lawmakers to understand what so many parents already know. Pregnancy and early parenting are unpredictable. No one can guarantee a complication-free birth or a perfectly healthy newborn. That is why programs like Medicaid are essential. They offer not just care, but peace of mind, so families can focus on nurturing and protecting their children.
Angel and Marleigh participated in Strolling Thunder as part of ZERO TO THREE’s Think Babies campaign to urge Congress to strengthen Medicaid. Their story is a call to oppose proposed cuts or new barriers, like work requirements, that would prevent parents from accessing life-saving support.
