Emergency! Lana's Federally-Employed Husband Terminated

Emergency Help Needed For Lana and Her Family

This Valentine’s Day Lana and her husband lost their only source of income and health insurance as the new administration suddenly terminated thousands of federal employees. Lana has spent her life fighting for others and working for the safety and betterment of her community. Now, in the midst of a severe health crisis, she has lost her health insurance and her family's only income. Lana is in a desperate fight to keep her home and maintain her health and mobility.

This spring, while recovering from two back-to-back surgeries, Lana began feeling pain in her neck and shoulders. Over the course of a few weeks her condition rapidly worsened. The cervical pain became constant, followed by erratic loss of mobility, gait and balance. Along with this came chronic debilitating headaches, nausea, and muscle spasms lasting for hours.

By July, after using up all of her available medical, personal, and family leave, Lana was terminated from her full-time position as a social worker and mental health program coordinator.

By October, Lana had to take a medical leave of absence from the graduate program where she was completing a Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health.

After years of dedicated public service, working to build, change, and expand community resources for the most marginalized families in her community, Lana now found herself struggling for the same support and resources that she had spent a life and career mustering for others.

In November, Lana was finally diagnosed with a rare hereditary condition affecting her body's connective tissue. This condition destabilizes and erodes the tissue required for the stability and structure necessary for the joints, organs, and bodily functions essential to mobility and health. This diagnosis finally explains Lana’s medical history, recent episode, rapidly worsening symptoms, and mobility issues.

Despite this diagnosis, on December 4th Lana was denied the promised financial support offered by her previous employer’s long term disability insurance. Though she could no longer walk, drive, or hold her head up for more than two hours without severe pain, the insurance company wrote in their decision letter to Lana that “you are not precluded from performing the duties of your regular occupation ... [and] you do not meet your policy's definition of disability.”

The earlier relief of finally having a diagnosis explaining her condition has been overshadowed by the reality of a healthcare system on the brink of collapse. Unfortunately, there are very few specialists who treat Lana’s disorder, even fewer in Lana’s home state of Vermont, and none who are taking new patients. This reality leaves Lana and her family unable to gauge the severity of her condition, manage her symptoms, or contest the denial of disability insurance to which she is entitled.

To further complicate her situation, a specialized MRI machine, unavailable in the states of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, is required to diagnose and assess the severity of her cervical spine. Recently, Lana’s physician was able to locate the appropriate MRI facility in New York City. This imaging appointment is currently pending insurance approval.

Through Lana’s fighting spirit and relentless research, she has also secured a lawyer familiar with her disability. Now, after months of uncertainty, Lana can begin the process of getting the medical documentation and imaging required to appeal her disability claim.

This is a crucial win, but the fight is not over.

Since July, Lana has been living on only the single income from her husband's federal job. After seven months, the financial and emotional repercussions to Lana and her family have been devastating. They have reached the limit of belt-tightening, there are no more savings, credit cards are maxed, and stop-gap infusions from family have been depleted. It is a monthly fight to cover bills and provide security for her teenage daughter.

Until this past week Lana and her family were a single paycheck away from losing their home, transportation, and security. Now, after the recent mass federal workforce layoffs, even that single paycheck, along with their Federal Health Insurance, has disappeared.

After decades of connecting others to resources, Lana and her family are at imminent risk of falling behind on mortgage and tax payments, jeopardizing all that she has worked so hard to achieve.

Coming from a childhood of homelessness and food insecurity, this threat is a constant looming trauma making it impossible to begin the process of healing. Without your financial support Lana will be unable to get her medical team secured, disability claim appealed, and complete the graduate degree allowing her to move to the next step in a life and career of working to support and heal those in our community who are most in need.

When the people who are essential workers and vital community assets like Lana are removed from the workforce, our entire community suffers. It is essential that Lana receive financial support so that she can preserve her mobility and housing, allowing her to return to her work with the community that she loves.