Tara Guion is a mother of three from Iowa and an advocate for families affected by Medicaid policy, sharing her story to highlight the real impact of proposed cuts on Iowa children and families. 

As I stood in line at the Iowa State Fair, waiting to meet Senator Joni Ernst, I couldn’t help but think about my child, Luca, and the struggles we’ve faced as a family. My experience is a testament to the importance of Medicaid, a lifeline for many families like mine.

As a pregnant mother of two (soon to be three) boys, I’ve had my fair share of challenges, but it’s the memory of Luca’s four-and-a-half-month stay in the NICU that drives my advocacy. Born at just 25 weeks in March 2021, Luca’s prematurity and subsequent medical complications led to $1.7 million in medical costs, a burden that would have been insurmountable without Medicaid.

The care he has received, including occupational and physical therapy, as well as nutritional services, was crucial to his development. Today, at four and a half, he’s a thriving child, defying the odds, and he started school this fall.