Ryan Hill once woke up with a sheet over his head.
The future Chestnut Peer Specialist / Clinician peeled the sheet off to reveal shocked nurses. He had been dead for two minutes.
Not a lot of people get a second chance. Hill has done a lot with his.
Over the years, a quiet crisis unfolded in Jefferson County, MO as several students died by suicide, leaving communities devasted and searching for answers.
The loss was heartbreaking—and it was clear that something had to change.
Faith Granberry, Cahokia, IL, works full time but doesn't make enough money to cover healthcare expenses. She relied on Medicaid in foster care. She now worries that Medicaid cuts would affect her ability to afford healthcare. "Medical debt is a big reason people become homeless in America," she said. It's a realistic fear for her as she has experienced homelessness before.
Physical recovery does not end when someone leaves the hospital — but for people without stable housing, it often has to.
Discharged with fresh wounds, healing bones, and post-operative instructions, many unhoused individuals find themselves on the streets, with no safe place to recover and no one to help. There's no quiet room to rest, no support in managing medications, or to check if a wound is healing.
Christy Anderson, 59, is a coal miner's daughter whose parents instilled in her the value of hard work. She worked hard for many years as a caretaker for the elderly. When her husband died, she could not afford healthcare for her children and relied on Medicaid for their regular checkups and medications. And when Christy began struggling with her mental health and was no longer able to work, Medicaid was there for her.