Kym Cooper

Her dream was to be a teacher.  But after earning a teaching degree from the University of Texas at Austin, she decided to pursue a career in the high-tech industry. "As a single mom, I couldn't see surviving on a teacher's salary," she recalls. "A friend  offered me a position with a high-tech firm. So, I took the job that paid more."

Her chosen industry couldn't offer long-term stability. Cooper was one of the thousands of high-tech workers who lost their jobs-and health insurance-last year.

"I can't afford private insurance," she laments. "This is a major concern for me as a mom. Little boys are rambunctious, always climbing trees." While she and her son are in good health, Cooper says that her concern about her lack of insurance is "more a matter of health maintenance and the possibility of accidents."

"When I first got laid off, I took a contract position," she says. "When I applied for CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program), I found out that in my contract position I was making too much money to qualify."

She ultimately purchased insurance for her son through a program at his school. "It's not health insurance, it's accident insurance," she explains, "so he's only covered for accidents that occur during the school year."

Although she didn't qualify for CHIP, she was given a list of resources, where she learned about SETON's community clinics. She and her son are now patients at Seton South and Seton McCarthy Community Health Centers. 

"They are providing a wonderful service," she says. "SETON has given me and my son the opportunity to seek affordable medical care."