Sabrina A

Child(ren): One child, Gabriela Hernandez, 2 years old

The only money I get is my daughter’s money. That’s it, and I spend it on her… like I told my mom, first priority is my daughter, then me. That’s what a lot of people say that they admire that about me. That they see I’d rather dress my daughter better than dress myself better…I’m not going to let my daughter suffer just because I want to dress nice.

Sabrina is twenty years old and the mother of a daughter, Gabriela, with another child on the way. Gabriela was born very premature and has Cerebral Palsy, so her health and development are Sabrina’s main concerns. Sabrina and Gabriela are insured under Medicaid and two Child Link therapists come out to Sabrina’s home to assist Gabriela’s development. Because of Gabriela’s health problems and her high-risk pregnancy Sabrina can’t work, and she and Gabriela live in one room in her parents’ house. Sabrina is the only driver in the household, so despite the fact that she is supposed to be on bed rest, Sabrina packs Gabriela in the car and drives her parents around early in the morning to their various housekeeping jobs.

Sabrina doesn’t know how she would survive without the help of her parents. Sabrina’s parents are immigrants, and they also rely on her as the only English speaker in the house. She was previously living on her own but was unable to afford the rent and taking care of Gabriela by herself was difficult. Her daughter receives an SSI check, but because that is counted as income they receive a very small amount of cash assistance and Food Stamps. Sabrina does not receive child support from Gabriela’s father and he doesn’t want anything to do with his daughter because of her disabilities. Sabrina never finished high school, and she thinks that after she has her second child she will go back to work housekeeping with her parents.

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Sabrina A

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