Story No. 133: Dr. Neelum from Illinois

I have practiced in predominantly minority communities for 15 years. In that time, I met Shirley, an unemployed, uninsured woman caring for her 75-year-old mother, who had moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Shirley told me that if it wasn’t for her local Title X-funded clinic, she wouldn’t be able to access basic health care. Because her mother requires constant care, Shirley doesn’t have the luxury of traveling outside of her community to a private medical facility. Thankfully, the Title X-funded clinic in her neighborhood provides basic health services such as birth control, pap smears, and STD screenings. Because of Title X, Shirley was able to both care for her mother and access the health services she needed herself.