NC Moms, Advocates Discuss Parenting and Navigating Health Care Options During a Pandemic

NC Moms, Advocates Discuss Parenting and Navigating Health Care Options During a Pandemic

NC Moms share their health care stories and concerns, urgently call attention to the fight to defend crucial health care protections during a health crisis.

Raleigh, N.C. — The coronavirus has left many North Carolina parents navigating new ways to work, teach, and care for their children -- all while worrying that the federal government hasn't done enough to keep their families safe. In the midst of a pandemic, the last thing North Carolina families should be worried about is accessing affordable health care.

Last night, NC moms, bloggers, and health care advocates, Meka Harrell and Chelsea Jeannette, joined Piedmont Rising to discuss how they're parenting during a pandemic and why they joined the affordable health care movement.

Meka Harrell, a military wife and mom of four shared her thoughts regarding the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how her family has juggled homeschooling, working from home, and protecting their health.

“I feel like more could have been done...It seems as if our elected officials felt as though this couldn't happen in America. It’s kind of like we were watching this unfold everywhere else but not in America,” said Harrell. “I don't feel that we really prepared for the coronavirus to hit us the way it has. I've heard several people say that it's like the flu and people die from the flu. I literally know four people who have passed away from the coronavirus, I don't know anybody that has passed away from the flu. It’s just a lot of misinformation.”

When asked about access to health care for North Carolina families, Harrell said, “We have to think outside of ourselves and our normal conditions. No [parent] should have the burden of paying for a school trip versus getting the medicine they need to perform their daily routines.”

Chelsea Jeannette, a mom of twins, shared why access to resources and health care are more important than ever for parents, and how the federal response to the coronavirus hindered the ability for families to adequately prepare for the health crisis.

“Being proactive is the name of the game in regards to any situation, but especially during a pandemic. You didn’t see it in January and you still don’t see it now -- as even more lives are being lost,” said Jeannette. “It’s irritating as a human, it’s irritating as a citizen of this country, and it’s irritating as a parent.”

When asked about the importance of access to health care in light of the current pandemic, Jeannette said, “It’s always been important for everyone to access health care regardless of your socioeconomic status or what demographic you're in -- and that is heightened in light of the coronavirus happening.”

View a recording of the event HERE.

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About Piedmont Rising

Piedmont Rising is an issue advocacy organization built by and for North Carolinians to advocate for lower insurance premiums and prescription drug costs, and to ensure that more people have access to safe and affordable health care. Through grassroots organizing, education, and engagement, we are amplifying our health care stories and holding our elected officials accountable to the people, and issues, they were elected to represent. www.piedmontrising.org