Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

For Syrian refugee with genetic disorder in suburban Chicago, looming Medicaid cutoff has his parents worried

wbez.org · 3hShare

Omar spent a recent morning like most teenagers — browsing YouTube videos ranging on topics from tech to anime. But Omar wasn’t swiping through the videos with his fingers. The 19-year-old, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, uses his eyes to control the tablet, and he spends his days on a hospital bed that sits in the family’s small suburban living room. A window next to his bed looks out to their apartment complex. An entertainment center — decorated with Dragon Ball Z figurines — serves as storage for medical supplies to help care for the teen. His parents, Mahmoud and Asmaa, are his caretakers with his mother often sleeping next to him on the family’s beige and red couch. The Sun-Times is not using the family’s last name due to their pending application for permanent residency. Omar’s parents say they worry what will happen to his health come Oct. 1 when they, along with an estimated 9,300 other immigrants in Illinois, are expected to lose Medicaid coverage. “They’re caught betwee

First report: Syrian refugee with genetic disorder in suburban Chicago faces looming cutoff from Medicaid — suntimes.com, 2d