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.

When Nicolas came to the United States as a young boy, he was seeking political asylum, leaving a country that was dangerous for him to live in. He and his father got along fine in the United States. However, when Nicolas turned 19, he aged out of All Kids and was left uninsured. Even worse,…

At age 2, Rashaan was not talking at the level of most children his age. Fortunately, his doctor noticed this delay, diagnosed autism, and ensured that he would receive Early Intervention (EI) speech therapy. EI ends at age 3, but federal law mandates that children in EI be evaluated to transition smoothly into special education…

Being a 12 year old girl isn’t always easy. For Jane, being 12 is more complicated than most. When she suffered from a mental health crisis in the middle of the school year, Jane was struggling not only with her health but with bullying at her school. Any child would find it hard to cope…

Hatim, an HIV-positive man with limited English skills, first came to AIDS Legal Council after he sustained a devastating injury at his job as a butcher, and was unable to continue working. Hatim’s dominant hand had been caught in a meat grinder; as a result, he lost fingers and suffered extensive bone and nerve damage…