For Danielle, Care Meant Walking Without Pain

For two years, the hole in Danielle’s foot kept her from walking comfortably.

Danielle had lost feeling in her foot, so she couldn’t tell the blister she’d developed was getting worse. As the blister became an ulcer and the ulcer became deeper, walking became more difficult. Before long, she needed to use a knee scooter just to move around her house.

She knew something had to change, but she didn’t have the insurance to get the help she needed. After getting health care coverage through the Central Health Medical Access Program (MAP), she scheduled an appointment with a podiatrist named Dr. Vanatius Babila-Tita.

Dr. Tita diagnosed Danielle with Charcot arthropathy. The diagnosis meant that because Danielle couldn’t feel her foot, she couldn’t tell how bad her ulcer had become, so she was accidentally making it worse.

To help her, Dr. Tita planned a minimally invasive procedure that would, in his words, “cut out that ulcer and close the wound to give her a chance to heal.”

The procedure worked.

Two months later, Danielle’s wound was healing. She could feel her foot, and she was even starting to walk again.

Living her life the way she wanted wasn’t just something she could hope for—it was in reach.

Access to care had given her life back.