Real Parents, Real Struggles: The Case for Child Disability Insurance
Real Parents, Real Struggles: The Case for Child Disability Insurance
At Juno, many of us aren’t just building this company, we’re living the very experiences we’re trying to make better.
We’re parents of kids with disabilities and complex medical needs. We’ve slept in hospital chairs, sometimes moved in. We’ve argued with insurance companies. We’ve worried about money, about work, about whether we were doing enough. These stories come from our team, the minds and hearts behind our work, and they’re a big part of why we started Juno.
We didn’t set out to start an insurance company. We set out to build the kind of support we wish we had when everything changed. A way for parents to protect their families. A way to get real help. A way to not feel so alone.
This is personal.
And that’s exactly what makes Juno different.
Ashley’s Story: The Cost to Save a Life
Like most new parents, Ashley was filled with joy and anticipation. But at her 20-week ultrasound, everything changed. Her daughter was diagnosed with severe congenital heart defects and would require life-saving surgery immediately after birth.
Ashley’s daughter was born four weeks early at just four pounds and was rushed to the cardiac ICU. At ten days old, she underwent major open-heart surgery. She suffered cardiac arrest shortly after, and spent the first 90 days of her life in the hospital, hooked up to machines, monitored around the clock, undergoing neurological interventions, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. Ashley lived in the hospital alongside her daughter, there was no time to heal, no time to breathe. She worked from the hospital to try and salvage some maternity leave. The cost of saving their daughter’s life, over $2.5 million dollars.
Ashley and her husband were emotionally devastated and financially overwhelmed. Her husband was allowed only one week off. Ashley’s paychecks were fractional while the bills kept coming. They drained their retirement savings but it still wasn’t enough. When they finally brought their daughter home, the real work began, managing medical appointments, therapies, recovery, and the psychological aftermath of the experience. On top of it all, Ashley only got two weeks at home without the tubes and wires covering her baby. After that, it was back to work, to chip away at the bills stacked on the counter. She had no choice.
Because no parent should have to choose between their paycheck and their child.
Because no one should face this alone.
Jenn’s Story: What Happens When the Bills Don’t Stop?
Jenn was told that her daughter Demi had suffered a massive stroke at just four and a half months old. The days that followed were a blur of MRI scans, feeding tubes, and fear. There was no roadmap, only questions, decisions, and second opinions.
Demi’s stroke affected a third of her brain. The diagnosis came with years of uncertainty and an avalanche of ongoing care. From physical therapy and occupational therapy to neurology visits and adaptive equipment, every step was a fight to give Demi the best shot at a full life.
Jenn returned to work while still breastfeeding and pumping in conference rooms between meetings. Her family stretched every dollar to pay out of pocket for therapies that weren’t covered by insurance. Jenn spent her nights googling how to navigate Medicaid, trying to find any kind of financial support.
Because no parent should have to drain their savings just to give their child a chance.
Because no one should have to navigate a medical crisis in the dark.
Nikki’s Story: The Diagnosis Is Just the Beginning
When Nikki’s son, Nathaniel, was diagnosed with Distal Trisomy 10q, a condition with less than 50 reported cases, there was no playbook. She and her husband faced a maze of tests, evaluations, therapies, and early intervention services, all while trying to stay afloat financially and emotionally.
What made it harder was the isolation. Friends didn’t know what to say. Extended family didn’t understand. Insurance companies added insult to injury, denying coverage or requiring hours of phone calls for basic approvals. Nikki and her husband faced the unimaginable task of becoming experts around their son’s condition, alone.
Nikki knew that her son’s condition would require long-term care and that their careers would take a backseat to hospital appointments, progress reports, and progress that came in inches, not miles. What she needed was time, to research, to advocate, and the support to simply be present.
Because caregiving is a full-time job.
Because no one should be left to navigate this alone.
Bill’s Story: When It’s Not Just a Phase
Bill’s oldest son was born in 1987, and within moments of his birth, suffered a traumatic brain injury due to asphyxiation. He spent weeks in the NICU, and the long-term effects of the birth injury would shape their lives forever.
Over the years, Bill and his family navigated IEP meetings, psychiatric hospitalizations, undiagnosed disorders, behavioral therapies, and a revolving door of specialists. His son’s diagnosis shifted from “pervasive developmental disorder” to “bipolar” as he aged, but services often depended on checkboxes his son didn’t fit.
Even with Bill’s deep knowledge of disability insurance and access to resources, the emotional and logistical toll was enormous. He described it as “the whole waterfront”—psych support, meds, special education, hospitalizations, and noted how many children like his fall through the cracks and end up homeless, incarcerated, or worse.
Because this doesn’t end at 18.
Because every family deserves a safety net that lasts.
And Still, They Keep Going
Ashley’s daughter is now thriving, a resilient heart warrior whose story inspires everyone who meets her.
→Watch Ashley’s Story
Jenn continues to advocate fiercely for Demi, who is making strides every day with a care team Jenn fought to build.
→Watch Jenn’s Story
Nikki has built a strong network of support and continues to share her family’s journey to help others feel less alone.
→Read More about Nikki’s Story
Bill, after nearly four decades in disability insurance and as a parent of a child with lifelong needs, found his mission in Juno, to help families avoid the pain he’s spent a lifetime navigating.
These stories are why Juno exists.
Because no family should have to face the hardest days of their lives without support.
Because every parent deserves the time, space, and security to be there when it matters most.
Read More
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