In 1997, the Children’s Health Insurance Program was initiated and began offering low-cost health insurance to Pennsylvania kids.

Being self-employed and unable to afford comprehensive insurance for the entire family, this came as a blessing to our family and we promptly signed the kids up.

Five years later, our daughter was diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic and was told she would have to give herself insulin injections for the rest of her life. Six months later our youngest son was also diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic. In 2007, our oldest son got sick and a year later had to have his colon removed.

The CHIP program paid for all medical expenses. I feel fairly certain that if it weren’t for the CHIP program, my husband and I would have lost our business and probably our house trying to pay all of the medical bills. The reason I am writing this is to tell you that the CHIP program grew out of the health security initiative created by Hillary Clinton. The best part? She got it done with a Republican Congress. I like everything Bernie Sanders has to say, but try as I might, I can’t find any evidence that he can successfully work with the Republicans to achieve his goals. And to me, that is a crucial element of our next Democratic president. And that is why I am voting for Clinton on April 26.