Deanna Lucero: This Is Not Charity. It’s My Son’s Lifeline.

In the heart of Colorado’s San Luis Valley, Deanna Lucero lives in the rural town of Alamosa with her three children. Her youngest, Isaiah, is three years old, autistic and nonverbal. She describes him as “so full of potential, if given the chance.” For Isaiah, that chance comes through Medicaid.

Thanks to Medicaid, Isaiah receives speech, occupational and ABA therapy. Deanna also serves as his parent CNA, which allows her to stay home and care for him full time. “Thanks to Medicaid, I am blessed to be able to be his parent CNA, which means I can stay home and care for him around the clock and give him the care he needs and deserves,” she says. For her, Medicaid is not a handout. “This is not charity to me. This is not a luxury to me. It’s a lifeline. It’s my son’s lifeline.”

With Medicaid’s support, Isaiah has made measurable progress. “Thanks to speech, he’s learning new signs. Thanks to occupational therapy, he’s tolerating new foods, and he’s staying calmer in situations that used to overwhelm him,” Deanna shares. Just a year ago, even a trip to the grocery store was out of reach. Now, every step forward feels monumental. “Tiny victories to some, but for us, they are hard-earned milestones, and they mean so much.”

But Deanna worries that all of Isaiah’s progress hangs in the balance. She asks, “What happens to that progress? What happens to those milestones? Do they just stop because someone in office says that he’s not worth the cost?” Her county, already burdened by limited services and stretched staffing, has no safety net. “Medicaid is it,” she says. “And if you gut that system, kids like Isaiah will lose everything, everything.”

The impact would go beyond one family. “It would destabilize families across the entire San Luis Valley,” Deanna says. Without Medicaid, Isaiah would lose his therapies. Deanna would lose her job as his caregiver. His development would unravel. “And we’re not alone. So many families depend on this same support.”

Deanna speaks for all of them. “We are not asking for extras. We are asking for a fighting chance. And I’m not just speaking for Isaiah. I’m speaking for every family out there that wants their children to be safe, stable and progressing.”

She ends with a plea. “Please protect Medicaid. Our kids, our Valley, and our future so depend on it.”