Client Stories

Stacey had already been through so much at such a young age. By the time she entered 1st grade, she had lived through domestic violence and neglect. She went from foster home to foster home, all while dealing with stress from her traumatic upbringing. But things started looking up– Stacey found a home with a…

Gregory lived through a series of challenges and constant uphill battles before ending up at Chicago’s Franciscan Outreach Shelter. His mother passed when he was a teen and he lost many of his siblings to illnesses. He spent time in prison for a few years and had less than a high school education. Before his stay…

From day one life forced Sasha to put up a fight. When she was born, she was infected with H.I.V and was a child of the foster care system. At age six she was diagnosed with AIDS. Despite the trauma and health struggles she experienced, by 2014 Sasha was thriving. It seemed she was doing…

Roger Thompson is a 56-year-old man with an intellectual disability, a personality disorder, and a speech impediment. When he first reached out to Legal Council, Roger was homeless and barely coherent. But after receiving assistance from Legal Council, Roger now has a bright and optimistic future ahead of him.

When Celeste’s health coverage was unrightfully denied due to her HIV status, she sought legal help from Legal Council.

Celeste is a proud transgender woman who was eager to complete her transition surgery, but because of her coverage limitations and the costs of the procedure, she knew she would need additional coverage alongside the insurance plan she already had. Knowing this, Celeste applied for short-term disability coverage to supplement her current coverage. Though this plan was expensive and required Celeste pay 100% out-of-pocket, the short-term coverage she selected would help cover her surgery and recovery.

Rose and Miguel Rodriguez were a couple struggling to make ends meet, like many hardworking families in Illinois. Though they were both undocumented, Miguel had a steady job and was trying hard to provide a stable home for his three children: Felix, age 9, Mary, age 4, and Julio, age 2. Recovering from a stroke and struggling with language and memory issues, Rose was unable to work. Each child had a medical disability, but Rose and Miguel were doing their best to get their children the care they needed.

Coming from a chaotic and abusive household–where his mother would abuse him both physically and mentally–Kenneth had few resources. Though he suffered from depression that dated back to his childhood, Kenneth was still able to get his Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) degree and worked as a nurse for five years at a hospital in Virginia.…

Frank suffered a traumatic brain injury as a child and has been a patient at one of our medical partner sites ever since. Unfortunately, when Frank was 18 years old, he was in a severe car accident, leaving him with more complex medical issues including severe paraplegia.

Kiara and her daughters Jada and Imani experienced a rough few months. A death in the family unexpectedly changed finances, and Kiara fell behind on rent. When her landlord filed for eviction, Kiara was incredibly anxious. She needed a new place to live and was facing an eviction on her record. All the stress put…

For the first few years of Bria’s life, her grandmother took care of her. Bria’s mom was a drug addict, and Bria and her brothers were born with cocaine in their systems.