Why Carly Bloomingdale Is a Little Lobbyists Voter in Georgia!

Carly (l) and Grant (r) at the beach, standing at the shoreline. Grant wears a black, silver and neon-green swim suit. Carly wears a gold t-shirt and black skirt.

We want YOU to be a Little Lobbyists voter! We’re down to the last big race of 2022, the Senate run-off in Georgia, but we’ll be gearing up soon enough for 2024. So take our pledge to vote for candidates who will protect and expand the rights of children with complex medical needs and disabilities. We have to elect more candidates to office who share our belief in equity, accessibility, and inclusion to remove barriers and advance the policies our families need.

Voting is one of the most powerful ways to make your voice heard and make our country – from County seat to the U.S. Capitol – the more just and inclusive place ALL our children deserve, but we can’t do it without your vote. 

Take the pledge to be a Little Lobbyists Voter.

Here’s a story about Carly and Grant, who live in Georgia:

I’m mom to Grant, a smiley and affectionate five-year-old. Grant loves to swing at the park, swim at the pool with his fellow Angelfish, and play in the waves at the beach. When he's not enjoying activities outdoors, Grant can be found doing the Hot Dog Dance with Mickey and Toodles from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, his absolute favorite show. Grant gives the best high fives, hugs, and fist bumps! 

Shortly after he was born, Grant was diagnosed with Total Intestinal Aganglionosis Hirschsprung’s Disease, a digestive disease that requires him to receive IV nutrition through a central line. He also has a g-tube and a jejunostomy. When he was two, Grant was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and is nonspeaking–he communicates with picture exchange and will soon use an adaptive communication device.

Grant spent a total of 97 days in the NICU when he was born. Because Grant was on a continuous IV with a central line, we couldn’t go home from the hospital without in-home nursing lined up. Both my husband and I worked and would not be able to take care of Grant without a nurse. To get in-home nursing for Grant, we needed Georgia’s Katie Beckett Medicaid waiver. It took quite a bit of time and people to make it happen, but Grant was finally able to get the medical care he needed to go home.

Grant’s life was enhanced significantly thanks to Georgia’s Medicaid waiver coverage, and we are so grateful for the folks who helped us navigate a difficult process in a time of need.  But parents of medically complex children shouldn’t have to worry about how they are going to care for them when they come home.

That’s why we are Little Lobbyists voters and Health Care Voters who are excited to vote (again) for Senator Raphael Warnock in the runoff election. We need more leaders like Senator Warnock who will work to make sure caregivers of medically complex children are able to get the necessary care for their loved ones. Georgia is seeing more hospitals close their doors and many parts of the state without adequate numbers of healthcare providers. We need elected officials who will fight for kids like Grant to have the best care and the best lives.