Sarah’s Story

My name is Sarah, and I am a resident of Portland. I have lived in Maine for 8 years and am proud to call it my home.  I realized that Maine had no paid family and medical leave after I attempted to recover from a horrible dog attack. 

It is a tough time to discover that Maine does not offer Paid Family and Medical Leave when you are in a medical situation and unable to figure out nuanced things, like how to get medical bills paid.

I was diagnosed with Post Concussion Syndrome by a neurologist after my head hit the pavement trying to defend myself and my dog from a loose dog attacking us. Post-concussion syndrome occurs when concussion symptoms last beyond the expected recovery period after the initial injury. I needed to see an optometrist who specialized in neurology, a speech therapist, a physical therapist and an occupational therapist. Many of these specialists were not covered by my insurance.

Fortunately, I did have some savings.  I had been putting money aside for the past 20 years! I had saved about $10,000 and it is what I blew through, my savings are gone. I was hoping to buy a house in Maine. I can’t build it back up because I am still paying off medical bills. I had to use that money to pay rent, buy groceries, I wasn’t able to drive myself…live!

My employer is based out of New York. New York has PFML!  I received about $200 a paycheck. It made a huge difference. I was appalled that Maine has no medical leave options. 

It is not known when and if my health will ever return to the way it used to be, especially since I can not afford the medical team I need. If I could have kept my savings somewhat intact by having paid family and medical leave I could have a sustainable medical care team! Right now I do not because I can not afford it.

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