09/02/2026
I am so tired of fighting insurance companies and Medicaid just to get Tanner the therapies and resources that give him the best chance at recovery, independence, and long-term health.
Today has been one of those days. Phone call after phone call. Hearing “we denied it” or “that’s not medically necessary.” It’s the kind of day that makes you want to scream.
What frustrates me most is that someone sitting behind a desk, who has never met Tanner, doesn’t know his injury, has never stepped foot inside the therapy facility, and doesn’t understand that every spinal cord injury is different, somehow gets to decide what therapies are best for him and where he should receive them.
There is already so little research specifically involving children with spinal cord injuries, yet somehow these decisions are made as if there’s a one-size-fits-all answer.
We aren’t asking for luxuries. We’re asking for every reasonable opportunity to help our 14-year-old get stronger, stay healthy, gain independence, and potentially recover function.
I’ll keep making the calls, filling out the paperwork, appealing the denials, researching, fundraising, and fighting.
But it shouldn’t be this hard to get your child care that could potentially impact the rest of his life.
Because there IS a difference between mediocre therapy and great therapy. There’s a difference between a facility that offers standard PT/OT for a variety of basic injuries and one that has the specialized equipment, technology, knowledge, and experience to push Tanner further.
For someone with a spinal cord injury, that difference can be life-changing.
And I refuse to accept that “good enough” should be good enough for Tanner simply because that’s what insurance or Medicaid is willing to pay for.
