When you’re out of options, a little kindness can change everything.
It was July of 2021 when Marissa Adams, then a training coordinator with Chick-fil-A, learned two things: she was pregnant, and her insurance had been cancelled. She tried to apply for Medicaid, but was denied. Not knowing where to turn, a co-worker recommended Womankind. The colleague had used Womankind’s services for her prenatal care when she was pregnant with her son and was confident the nonprofit could help Marissa.
When Marissa reached out to Womankind, she was crying and, as she put it, “freaking out,” but she was quickly put at ease. “Knowing that Womankind could provide my prenatal care and assist with Medicaid was a huge stress release. It was such a big help,” she said.
As her pregnancy progressed, Marissa came to enjoy her visits to Womankind’s Monday evening clinics,where she did not feel like a charity case. Chemarra Bryant, Womankind’s Director of Counseling and Support Services, helped her cope with the stress of not having insurance and worked with her to get Medicaid approval. “The outpouring of love from everyone at Womankind made me feel comfortable so I could simply focus on having a healthy baby,” she said.
Marissa left Chick-fil-A and used her degrees in art and math from the College of Wooster to pick up a part-time job teaching art at Lutheran West High School while she was still pregnant. She was blessed by how supportive her new employer was when she went into labor two and a half weeks early. Baby girl Everly entered this world weighing 5 pounds and 6 ounces, beautiful and healthy.
Marissa and husband Josh, a landscaper, hope to have more kids in the near future. For now, they are enjoying the wonder of every milestone in Everly’s young life, like holding her head up, recognizing people, and even sleeping through the night. The couple couldn’t wait to come back to Womankind to show off Everly, and even donated some of her infant clothes so they could help out other families in need.
Marissa says she makes sure she tells everyone she knows about Womankind. She exclaimed, “They were the best thing I never knew about. Without Womankind, I probably would have lost my sanity. They were a lifesaver!”
This story first appeared in our Spring 2023 newsletter.
