The other day I witnessed a disturbing sight in my corner of the city on a street lined by multi-lanes and whizzing cars. A couple of kids about my kids’ ages – a 7-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl – were doing a big shopping – not candy! -- at Walgreens.

I watched them check out, receive three bags of goods, change and a smile from the cashier. Then they struggled to take the bags outside, the little boy with two bags in his hands and the little girl with one. Once they were in front of the store, they attempted to reorganize their heavy load so that the little girl held none and the boy struggled with three bags.

I watched, hoping that they would go to a parked car with a loving adult in the driver’s seat. No. A woman – also a bystander – offered them help. Initially, the boy refused, but then accepted her help. She grabbed the bags and then walked away with them, presumably to their home.

On my way back home – approximately a three-block walk – I couldn’t stop thinking about them. What parent would allow two small children to go shopping alone? It was the 4th of July, perhaps the mother worked while the kids cared for themselves. Maybe a homebound grandmother had no choice but to let them shop for the family. I told my husband that I wished I had followed them home and let their guardian know that I was willing to do the shopping for them so that the kids wouldn’t have to. It really bothered me, as I cannot fathom giving my young children this kind of responsibility.

I found myself feeling the same way when I heard the stories of some of our contributing writers who depend on Medicaid to care for themselves or severely disabled children and/or their parents, too. What the heck are they going to do if they don’t have this lifeline? I can’t even fathom.

At the same time, I was in awe of their strength. These are strong women like Laura Tellado who has undergone 19 surgeries for spina bifida, a congenital disorder that often leaves the spinal cord unfused and causes paralysis. Despite a proposal to cut Medicaid by a third, Tellado continues to advocate and write on behalf of other spina bifida patients, and speak out against the cuts.

“My days of healthcare coverage are numbered—but I still have a voice, and I’m going to use it. I’ll use it fight for myself. I’ll use to fight for those who don’t have a voice,” she wrote here and at her blog Holdin’ Out for a Hero.

Then there is Emily Townsend’s heartbreaking reaction to the possibility that Medicaid may face devastating cuts. She has a severely disabled 17-year-old daughter who is in diapers and requires help with feeding. With sheer will and the help of Medicaid, Emily was able to work and gain a Ph. D. But how can we expect Emily’s family to thrive if her daughter is denied Medicaid coverage?

“It keeps me up at night,” Emily wrote. “For those of you who are reading this, please do not allow our leaders to balance the budget on the backs of the disabled. Medicaid is the main source of long-term care for people like my daughter and seniors. She and others like her are deserving of a long and dignified life.”

And for those of us who do not rely on Medicaid for health coverage, not only may we need it someday as it is the primary payer for 64% of nursing home residents, but we save money by cutting down on emergency room visits and investing in preventative care.

“Without it, my kids would be sicker and their lives in jeopardy – and those around them – as they would not be able to receive vaccines on time or wellness checkups,” wrote Katrina Alvarez-Hyman. “We would be in a whirlwind of trouble without it.”

I, for one, am not willing to pay in the long-term for short-term savings on the backs of the disabled, seniors and children. The last thing I’d want to see in my community is for more small children to shop for homebound disabled and elderly people. Shudder.