Fresno teen with rare disease advocates against Medicaid cuts in Washington, D.C.
Cruz Hernandez graduated from Bullard High School last week and, hours after obtaining his high school diploma, boarded a plane to Washington, D.C. with his mother and younger brother to advocate against Medicaid cuts.
Cruz, who turned 18 on Tuesday, has a rare genetic disease called neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) that causes tumors to grow all over his body. He shared his story last week with members of Congress as part of the Children’s Hospital Association’s annual Family Advocacy Day.
The Fresno teen hoped to convince Congress to protect Medicaid from cuts that would affect children like him across the Central Valley.
“That’s why we are going to Washington, and we’re going to fight not just for Cruz, but for all the babies, the teenagers, the kids who have been going through all this, these kind of different sicknesses, and who need to continue with their journey through life being sick,” said Cruz’s mother, Maria Alvarado, last week prior to the trip.
President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” before the U.S. Senate would result in a $698 billion cut in Medicaid funds, according to the Congressional Budget office.
Diagnosed at age 4, Cruz has traveled frequently since 2016 from Fresno to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in San Francisco for specialty care that is covered by Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal in California, including many surgeries and chemotherapy. About 70% of children at UCSF Benioff Children’s hospitals are on Medi-Cal.
“It’s been very, very rough. I don’t know where we would have been without UCSF, Medi-Cal, Medicaid, everything that’s helping us get through these surgeries and chemo — everything is super expensive,” said Alvarado.
For Alvarado, seeing her son graduate high school this week was one of the happiest days of her life. Cruz said it was “honestly surprising” since he thought he would have to redo 12th grade because of his illness.
“Nothing kept (Cruz) down. He’s a very smart child,” Alvarado said. “We’re so happy that he’s able to graduate with his class, with all the other 12th graders.”
Cruz’s family was one of nearly 60 pediatric patient families from children’s hospitals across the country advocating in D.C against Medicaid cuts last week.
“It makes me try to defend people like me that are sick and need Medi-Cal,” Cruz said of advocating in Congress. “It’s not me trying to defend myself, it’s me defending other kids like me.”
“There are some kids that are never able to go outside the real world. They are stuck in hospitals for the rest of their lives. They need Medi-Cal, just like I do,” he said.
Nationwide, nearly 50% of children with special health care needs are covered by Medicaid, according to KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Medicaid provides health care coverage for more than 525,000 Californians in the Central Valley, including more than 225,000 children.
Families in the Central Valley struggle to pay for health care, with 75% unable to afford out-of-pocket health care costs, according to Families USA. About 63% of families reportedly skip or delay medical care due to costs.
Matt Cook, CEO of the Children’s Hospital Association, said children and their families “deserve policies that put their needs first.”
According to Medicaid.gov, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) provide coverage for 37 million children in the U.S., including almost 5 million children living in California.
“We’re proud of advocates like Cruz who represent the strength and resilience of families across this great country, and who remind leaders in Washington what matters to families and communities,” Cook said in a statement.
In Washington, Cruz met with Congressman Jim Costa, D-Fresno, and other representatives.
“Families like his rely on Medicaid, and with potential cuts proposed in President Trumps ‘one, big, beautiful bill,’ we must keep fighting to protect this vital lifeline for families like Cruz’s,” Costa said in a statement.
This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
