TJC 2010 Mother of the Year - Patricia Womac

Ms. Womac’s daughter, seven-year-old Hannah, suffers from Rett Syndrome, a rare and devastating disorder of the nervous system that renders her incontinent and unable to speak or walk on her own.  Rett Syndrome occurs mostly in girls and is occurs in one in every 10,000 - 23,000 female births.  Due to these conditions, plus difficulty breathing and frequent seizures, Hannah receives nursing care through TennCare.  Even with nurses, Hannah’s mother cares for her full-time – lifting, bathing, and feeding Hannah and fighting to make sure she gets what she needs. 

Hannah’s caregivers take joy in her small pleasures and accomplishments.  She loves to watch cartoons including “Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Kids” – a show about a family of bugs who live in the Hollow Tree.  Hannah’s mom thinks that Hannah is drawn to the way the characters speak and their voices.  She also enjoys listening and moving to country music.

Last fall, Ms. Womac received a notice from the TennCare HMO saying that it would no longer cover the nursing care Hannah needs to be safe.  The HMO called Hannah’s doctor and pressured him into reducing his order for nursing.  Then they cut Hannah’s care.  When Ms. Womac learned about the reduction, she immediately filed a TennCare appeal to keep her daughter’s home health hours.  Ms. Womac called TJC, exasperated, and asked for help.  She explained that every few months, Hannah’s HMO tries to reduce her nursing.  Each time, Ms. Womac must go to court and each time, the judge orders that Hannah’s needed home health care be provided.  To stop this exhausting cycle, TJC wrote a letter to the state.  The state’s lawyers wrote back, agreeing, and Hannah’s nursing services have continued.

Ms. Womac’s struggles to provide care for her medically fragile daughter are ongoing, as is TJC’s advocacy.  In January 2010, Ms. Womac called TJC because she needed help getting Hannah’s wheelchair fixed.  The repair company picked up the broken chair, but provided the family with no temporary replacement.  Hannah was left for a week and a half without a wheelchair, causing her to miss a doctor’s appointment since Ms. Womac had no way to get her there.  When the chair did come back, it was missing head and arm supports.  TJC wrote two letters to the state’s TennCare attorneys and got Hannah the safe wheelchair she needs. 

Ms. Womac’s tenacious dedication to her daughter is helping Hannah live the best life she can.  We honor Ms. Womac as a Mother of the Year!