Meet Andrew from Sheboygan

8-year-old Andrew is a straight A student who loves animals and hopes to be a veterinary zoologist someday. He also loves stories, winter and snow, spending time with his grandfather 'tinkering" with things and snuggles with Mommy. He is a little brother to Matthew.

Andrew was born with a life-threatening skull deformity, metopic synostosis, which required half of his skull to be removed and reworked when he was just 7 months old. He also has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a genetic connective tissue disorder that not only makes his joints hyperextend, but is the cause of his two different types of bleeding disorders, his epic acid reflux disease and gastrointestinal motility problems. Andrew also suffers from sinus and ear infections, torticollis and apraxia of speech. To help with these myriad of issues, Andrew sees several specialists at Children's, including specialists from plastic surgery, neurosurgery, immunology, ear, nose & throat, gastroenterology, hematology, genetics, dermatology, and pulmonology.

BadgerCare is an invaluable asset to the family as Andrew's secondary insurer. Under his primary commercial insurance, Andrew's medications alone were almost $1,000 per month in out-of-pocket costs. Without Medicaid, Andrew's parents would be facing a difficult choice: paying their mortgage or paying for Andrew’s necessary medications. With BadgerCare coverage, those same prescriptions cost less than $10 per month. Through BadgerCare support, the family is not only able to stay in their home, but they can take their children to the doctor when they need to be seen instead of having to wait until their checkbook will allow it.

"I truly believe that without Children's I would not have Andrew," said Jaci, Andrew's mom. "And without BadgerCare, he wouldn't have access to Children's."

Please keep Medicaid strong for kids like Andrew!