Cristy was a kind and loving single mother of three children, a generous daughter and a hard worker. To make ends meet for her family, she worked full time at a restaurant.
When Cristy was in her early 30s, she knew something was wrong. She felt overly tired and paid out of pocket to see a doctor who diagnosed her with congestive heart failure. They told her she needed to get an internal defibrillator to keep her heart healthy.
Cristy tried to get the care she needed but couldn’t afford treatment without health insurance. She didn’t have insurance through her job, and was making more than $744 per month, which is the income limit for a parent caring for three children to qualify for Medicaid in North Carolina, so she was uninsured.
When Cristy was just 36 years old, she died in her sleep of a heart attack. Her youngest son was sleeping next to her that night. “It’s not right,” her mother, Cornelia, said. “How many other children have lost their mothers because they can’t get treatment?”