Courtney Stanley

Courtney and her husband, David, have known each other for most of their lives. They met in elementary school and have been together for nine years. After enduring a long-distance relationship for four years while David was in the army, they decided to get married, and they will soon be celebrating their third anniversary.

Courtney became pregnant last year, and she applied for presumptive eligibility at her local health department to get immediate coverage. Her doctor said her pregnancy was high-risk, so she needed regular medical attention. In order to keep her coverage, she submitted an application the following week.

When Courtney visited her doctor in June, she found out that her coverage had been terminated. She had submitted everything TennCare requested, but they claimed they didn’t receive some of the paperwork. She submitted another application in July, but the eligibility results incorrectly stated that she was over-income for TennCare.

At this point, Courtney had to quit her job due to pregnancy-related medical issues. She desperately needed an ultrasound so that her doctor could find out what the problem was, but she could not afford to pay for it out of pocket. She began to visit a low-cost clinic for basic care, and she submitted yet another TennCare application, but she was wrongfully denied again. On struggling to get health coverage, Courtney said, “It was just awful and miserable. I was already having complications with my pregnancy, and I was trying to contact every person that I could and getting no answers.”

Not knowing what else to do, Courtney contacted TJC. We filed an appeal on her behalf, and soon after, TennCare notified us that Courtney had been approved for coverage. When asked about what TJC’s help meant to her, Courtney said, “It was more of a stress reliever, knowing someone was there to help me. When I found out I got on TennCare, it was like a weight was taken off me.”

Courtney gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Sadie Kaye, in November. She loves being a mother and says that she couldn’t ask for a better baby. After all she went through trying to get health coverage, she’s just so glad to be at home with a healthy baby. “Honestly, that’s all I was worried about, was getting my baby help.”

As a new mother, Courtney has already gone to great lengths to make sure that her child can live a healthy life, and TJC is proud to honor her as a 2019 Mother of the Year.

Photo Credit: Alex Kent