Monica

As she walked into the clinic, my eyes about popped out of my head. She was beautiful – looked absolutely fabulous.

When I first met Monica, that is not how I would have described her at all.

I had known Monica’s mother for a few years. She called me one day very concerned about Monica and wanted to know if we could see her here at the clinic. They both came in on Tuesday evening. Monica was 21 years old at the time. She presented with fever, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, headache, aches and fatigue. She was dressed in jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. She was pale and clearly did not feel good.

We ordered some tests and put her on some medication for the nausea and vomiting. She returned two weeks later for test results, still not feeling any better.

At that point, I helped her with her application for the Healthy Michigan Plan. She was working in a low-paying job. She qualified immediately for the Healthy Michigan Plan, and was able to see a provider in our community. I lost track of her after that.

She came into the clinic to bring some paperwork. I hadn’t seen her in six months – and could not believe it was the same young woman. Because of having health insurance, she was able to get the care she needed. She still has some problems, but they are minor compared to what she was dealing with a few months ago.

She is in school, motivated to live her life to the fullest.

The outcome could have been very different – without a parent who cared and without access to healthcare.