My name is Blake White, and I am writing on behalf of my daughter, Jordyn White, whom we affectionately call "Jordy."

Jordy is 28 years old and was born with a rare chromosomal disorder called Tetrasomy 9p. She lives with significant intellectual and physical disabilities and requires around-the-clock support. Despite these challenges, Jordy is a joyful person with an infectious smile who brings happiness to everyone she meets.

Most importantly, Jordy is an adult with her own preferences, dreams, and desires about where and how she wants to live. Over the past six months, she has visited Vanguard Landing multiple times and has become increasingly excited about making it her home. Whenever we talk about Vanguard Landing, she lights up. She talks about having her own place, making friends, participating in activities, and being part of a community where she belongs.

For many people, those may seem like ordinary things. For Jordy, they represent independence, dignity, choice, and the opportunity to build a meaningful adult life. Vanguard Landing is not simply a place for her to live. It is a place where she can form friendships, engage with others, participate in community life, learn new skills, and enjoy opportunities that match her interests and abilities. It is a place she already knows, loves, and has chosen as the home she wants for her future.

Our family fully supports that choice. Like any loving family, we want Jordy to have the freedom to live her own life, make connections, and experience the same sense of belonging and purpose that every adult deserves.

Approving Medicaid waiver-funded services at Vanguard Landing is not simply an administrative decision. For Jordy, it determines whether she can receive the support services she needs in a place she has already chosen and is excited to call home. Denying or delaying that approval effectively denies her the opportunity to live in the community she prefers, alongside friends, neighbors, and members of the broader community.

The homes are built. The community is ready. Residents like Jordy are waiting.

I respectfully ask CMS and DMAS to approve Medicaid waiver-funded services at Vanguard Landing so individuals like my daughter can receive essential supports in a community they have freely chosen. Jordy deserves the same opportunity as any other adult to decide where she lives, build friendships, participate in her community, and pursue a fulfilling life in a place she is proud to call home.

For Jordy, Vanguard Landing is not just a housing option. It is her future. I ask that you make that future possible.