“We’re gone! We’re gone!”
Alexis Ratcliff, a 19
-year-old patient at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist hospital for the past six years, finally rolled out of the hospital on June 30 bound for her new apartment in a nearby community where she can live the independent life she’s been dreaming of for so long.
“We’re gone! We’re gone! I’m SO excited,” Alexis exclaimed after leaving the hospital and heading to her new apartment with its pink bedroom and stocked kitchen. Family, friends, and advocates visited with her all day, sharing in the celebration of her freedom. And media were there to document her accomplishment.
Alexis didn’t live in the hospital for six years because she was sick. She lived there since she was 13 because she couldn’t get the services she needed to live independently. Alexis was in a car crash when she was just 18 months old ands her neck was crushed. As a result, she is a quadriplegic and uses a ventilator.
Alexis’s move was the result of DRNC’s advocacy* with help from the US Department of Justice and other agencies. US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced in a press release a resolution that helped enable Alexis to move out, invoking his father’s legacy. “Today, the Office for Civil Rights fulfilled (his) vision by ending unnecessary segregation and helping a young woman build the future she deserves. This resolution brings Make America Healthy Again to life—empowering people like Alexis to live healthy, productive lives in their communities.”
A sharp and witty young woman, Alexis said she is thankful for family and friends who “wouldn’t let me give up.” Her determination served her well. “I’ve learned who I want to be and that I want to help advocate for people with disabilities. People with disabilities deserve to live in the community like everyone else,” she said.
While living in the hospital, Alexis graduated high school with honors and received a full scholarship to college. She’s put that on hold until she gets settled. In the meantime, she just completed training to further develop her advocacy skills. Next up: college, then law school.
Looking at the spaces in her new home, Alexis decided the kitchen is her favorite. A decorative plaque above the refrigerator says it all: “Home Is Where Your Story Begins.” Alexis is ready!
*The legal advocacy that helped Alexis leave the hospital and move into her own home was made possible in part by the Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR) program. But now, PAIR is at risk. The proposed Fiscal Year 2026 federal budget eliminates this vital program, cutting our ability to protect the rights and freedom of people like Alexis.