From Diagnosis to Thriving: How Medicaid and Colorado Access Changed Our Family’s Story

Celebrating 30 Years of Caring for You and Your Health

This year, Colorado Access marks three decades of serving our community. Throughout 2025, we’ve highlighted stories that show the real impact of our work; stories like mine, which remind us why caring for people and their health matters.

When the Unexpected Happens

At 32 weeks pregnant, I went in for a routine ultrasound and learned that my daughter, Romy, might have esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF), a rare condition where the esophagus and stomach aren’t connected. EA/TEF affects between one in 2,500 to 4,000 births. It’s a diagnosis that brings uncertainty, fear, and a whirlwind of medical decisions. Up until that point, I thought I was having a completely healthy pregnancy, so it was quite a shock.

Romy arrived three weeks before her scheduled induction, and the diagnosis was confirmed. Her esophagus was just a tiny pouch, and she needed immediate surgery. The procedure was supposed to take three hours, but lasted eight. Romy spent seven days in a medically induced coma and eight weeks in the NICU, far longer than we’d been told to expect. We faced specialist appointments, surgical planning, and sleepless nights, balancing hope and worry for Romy’s future.

Medicaid: A Lifeline in Crisis

About ten days before leaving the NICU, a case manager told us that because Romy had been in the NICU for more than 30 days, she qualified for a long-term care plan through Colorado Access. This was the first time I’d heard of Colorado Access, and it was a turning point for our family.

The Journey Home

In order for Romy to be discharged from the NICU, her surgical team placed a g-tube in her abdomen, which would serve as her primary source of nutrition while we came up with a plan to fix the congenital fistula that was found at the top of her esophagus. Before leaving the hospital, we learned to properly care for her g-tube, and we learned to feed her five times a day, each feeding taking an hour. The services and support we were able to access because of the long-term care plan made it possible for us to focus on her recovery, not on medical debt. Medicaid provided the stability and support our family needed during an incredibly uncertain time.

Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began, I was laid off and lost my primary insurance. Medicaid and Colorado Access stepped in, covering in-home nurse care, medical supplies, and the seven outpatient procedures Romy needed to fix a remaining fistula. We never saw a bill. Instead, we were able to focus on supporting our daughter and making up for lost time by bonding with her older brother and other close family members.

Thriving Against the Odds

Today, Romy is a healthy, thriving six-year-old. She just started kindergarten at a language immersion school. She’s smart, strong, and resilient, proof of what’s possible when families have access to the care they need.

Why Medicaid Matters

For 30 years, Colorado Access has been more than a health plan. We’re a partner to families facing rare and complex medical challenges. Medicaid means continuity of care, financial security, and the chance for children like Romy to thrive. Given the prognosis we received, I worried about Romy’s future. Because of Medicaid and Colorado Access, she’s healthy, happy, and hopeful. Our story is a testament to the power of compassionate care and the importance of supporting Medicaid for all who need it.

Did you know that 1 in 4 Coloradans is on Medicaid? These are our neighbors, our friends, our colleagues — the people we see every single day. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to the average Medicaid member. Medicaid serves children, parents, older adults, and people with disabilities. Each story is unique, and every member matters.

After experiencing the impact of Colorado Access firsthand, I knew I wanted to join the team. Now, my work is deeply meaningful — connecting everyday tasks to the bigger picture of helping families like mine.

Programs like Medicaid save lives every single day. They provide stability, dignity, and access to care for families facing medical challenges. As our 30-year anniversary comes to a close, we look forward to 30 more years of caring for you and your health at Colorado Access. It’s important to recognize the value of Medicaid, not just as a policy, but as a lifeline for so many in our community.