Governor Bill Haslam's proposed budget included millions of dollars to help people with disabilities.
In his state of the state address Monday, he talked about providing critical services to Tennesseans who need them.
For one local family, that need was new territory. Stephanie Trickler's sister, Sheila Solie, said Stephanie suffered a brain injury when she was born 62 years ago.
"As she has matured she has developed this curvature in her back, which has closed off her ability to breathe properly," Solie said.
Stephanie gets help at the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities seating and positioning clinic in Nashville.
Debbie Poirier is the clinic director. She sees Stephanie once a month. Her sister Sheila makes a two hour drive from the Monteagle area.
The staff works with her physical challenges and makes important adjustments to her wheel chair so she can breathe and eat.
"Other than the people that use it all the time, I mean a lot of people are unaware that we exist," Poirier said.
Until Monday night, when Governor Haslam talked about it in his state of the state address.
"The joy, support and relief that this service, this state service provides if that doesn't inspire you then you need to check your pulse," Governor Haslam said.
Haslam said he'll include $24 million in his proposed budget to help people like Stephanie, which would include money for a mobile seating and positioning clinic.
The mobile clinic would travel to Stephanie and Monteagle.
"It's huge. I mean having the support of the governor is huge for this clinic, because we want this clinic to be here in 30 years when all of us are gone," Poirier said.
For people like Stephanie, it's not an easy trip to make. The proposed mobile clinic could make a huge difference in her life.
"That would be awesome. That would be great," Solie said.
The $24 million Haslam wants to spend would also go toward a Tenncare and Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities program called Employment and Community First.
It would allow the state to serve more people who are currently on a waiting list to receive state services.
Tennessee officials say more than 4,000 people are on that list.
To learn more about the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities seating and positioning clinic in Nashville, watch Youtube videos on the group: https://youtu.be/o8GZlatAlxc and https://youtu.be/ZQk6c5YqNRE
