Emma works full-time at a non-profit farm. She loves her job and has always been passionate about farming. But the small farm does not offer health insurance and she doesn’t qualify for Medicaid leaving her without access to the care she needs.
Farming work can be dangerous and Emma is always aware of the accidents that can happen. She is especially wary because as a child, she had brain surgery for an arachnoid cyst, which was a fluid-filled cyst that put dangerous pressure on her brain. The cyst was drained, but she needs to be careful about head injuries.
“There is just this anxiety of what if something happened, or how do I need to be more careful?” she said. “Farm accidents happen all the time and that definitely sits on my mind because financially it would wipe my savings and beyond, so far beyond.”
Want to see more of Emma’s story? Watch Left Behind: Health and Hope in North Carolina, a short film featuring community members and health professionals from across North Carolina sharing their challenges and triumphs as they strive to take care of themselves, their families, and their communities.