Debbie Miller

The Tennessee Justice Center is happy to honor Debbie McBryar Miller as a 2019 Mother of the Year for her persistent fight to get her son, Cason, the care that he needs.

Cason, who is 10, was born with congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), which caused significant brain damage. As a result, he now has cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder. In addition to private insurance, Cason also has TennCare for private duty nursing care.

In 2017, Debbie received a letter from TennCare stating that his nursing hours would be cut essentially in half. This would have been devastating for their family—Debbie would have had to quit her job, and they likely would have lost their home. She filed an appeal immediately and reached out to TJC for additional help. TJC found pro bono attorneys to represent Cason in court, and he was approved to keep his benefits throughout the appeal. “TJC has meant the world to Cason and my family. Because of TJC, we have attorneys working on Cason’s appeal, helping me fight to keep the benefits he deserves.”

Debbie and her husband John have three other children in addition to Cason: Debbie’s son J.C., who is 12, and John’s sons Taylor (18) and Andy (16). They are very proud of their “blended family” and spend as much time together as possible. In addition to caring for Cason and his siblings, Debbie works with the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, which services school-aged children across multiple counties, many who are uninsured or on TennCare and wouldn’t get care otherwise.

Despite the many struggles she’s gone through to get Cason the care he needs, Debbie knows how fortunate she is to have him as a son. “Cason is my hero. He has so many physical and medical issues, but yet he is undoubtedly the happiest person I know. He loves his life, so I fight to keep him healthy like that so he can participate and have the kind of life that he has.”