Hands Off Our Hope

What 500 Voices in Lynchburg Meant for One Family in Richmond

“We will not let the most vulnerable fall through the cracks.”

This past weekend, over 500 people gathered outside City Hall in Lynchburg, Virginia, as part of the nationwide “Hands Off!” protest, a sweeping movement urging our leaders to protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. From handmade signs to heartfelt chants, every voice there carried a message: we won’t stay silent while the safety nets meant to protect our families are threatened.

And somewhere in the middle of that sea of people, our story, Cassie’s story, was spoken into a microphone by Jan Willinger.

Jan stood in front of the crowd and told them about our daughter Cassie. About how, after her diagnosis with Krabbe Disease, we were immediately thrust into a world of appointments, machines, specialists, and systems. She spoke about how we applied for Medicaid in the earliest days of Cassie’s diagnosis, and how we waited. And waited. And waited.

During that limbo, more than $60,000 in out-of-pocket expenses piled up. Medicaid didn’t backdate coverage. And Rachel, forced to cut 80% of her work hours to become Cassie’s 24/7 caregiver, has been waiting almost six months for caregiver pay approval, still with no clear end in sight.

Jan told the crowd what it’s like when policy decisions crash into real people’s lives. When parents of terminally ill children are left wondering how they’ll afford a wheelchair or the next hospital visit. And when she did, People felt it. Cassie became their story, too.

And that’s the heart of advocacy: making the abstract personal. Transforming policy into people.

These programs, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, aren’t optional for families like ours. They are lifelines. And right now, those lifelines are fraying.

But the Lynchburg protest wasn’t just about grief. It was about strength. It was about unity. About hundreds of people clapping, chanting, and standing together with signs that said things like:

🪧 “Hands Off My Social Security”
🪧 “The Power of the People Is Greater Than the People in Power”
🪧 “It’s Not Left or Right, It’s Right or Wrong”

This movement stretches far beyond us. Across the country, there were 1,300 protests in all 50 states. People from every walk of life, veterans, disability advocates, faith leaders, teachers, parents, are demanding better. And thanks to Jan and her husband Sam, our story even reached Senators Kaine and Warner. Sam asked them to support a rule change that would make Medicaid coverage retroactive to the date of application.

It might not change everything overnight. But it’s a start. And sometimes, a gasp from a crowd is the beginning of a roar.

To everyone who stood on those courthouse steps in Lynchburg: thank you. Thank you for making space for Cassie. For raising your voices. For fighting not just for policies, but for people.

We will keep sharing. We will keep showing up. And we’ll keep believing in a world where no parent has to choose between giving their child the care they need and staying afloat.

Hands off our children. Hands off our care. Hands off our hope.

📣 Let’s keep the momentum going:

• If you’ve had a personal experience with Medicaid, Social Security, or Medicare delays or denials, we want to hear from you. Share your story in the comments or send us a message.

• Contact your representatives and ask for retroactive Medicaid coverage starting at the date of application. Families like ours need it now more than ever.

• Support grassroots movements like this one. Show up. Speak out. Stay loud.