Do you recognize the little girl in this photo?

Yep, that’s me from when I was younger. Growing up, I was diagnosed with a serious illness that kept me in the hospital for three months.

When I recovered, my grandparents who raised me searched for an insurance policy that would cover me in the future in case I got sick again.

But they couldn’t find such a policy. Not from any insurer. Not at any price. They had to pay for my health care out of pocket and make enormous sacrifices to do so — all because I had a pre-existing condition.

That’s why I got into public service. I saw my grandparents stay up late at night, worried sick that I would fall ill again and that they wouldn't be able to afford my care. I thought no one should ever have to go through that.

Unfortunately, my story isn't a unique one. It's an experience shared by 133 million Americans living with pre-existing conditions. Before the Affordable Care Act was passed, people with pre-existing conditions could be denied coverage.

So you can imagine my frustration when Republicans are attacking our health care and threatening the coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. If my opponent and Republicans take back the Senate, they could undo the progress we've made by repealing the ACA and bringing us back to a place where insurance companies once again write all the rules.

I’ve fought against Republicans’ years-long efforts to repeal the ACA before, and I won’t stand down in the fight to protect access to affordable health care. But I can't do it alone. I need your help to keep up this fight in the U.S. Senate.

Will you make a donation to my reelection campaign so I can keep up this fight? With your help, we’ll prevent Republicans from rolling back the progress we've made for millions of Americans like me who have a pre-existing condition.

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

Thank you for standing with me.

— Tammy