Madeline-Michelle: Carthen, 52, is very much alive despite being wrongly declared dead over 15 years ago, which has left her stripped of voting rights, among other setbacks
Brian Brant is an Associate Editor, Human Interest, at PEOPLE. His work has previously appeared 1010 WINS/WCBS 880 and NewsBreak.When she was in college, Madeline-Michelle: Carthen had been anticipating taking part in Webster University's international intern exchange program in the summer of 2007. But she was never able to attend — or even graduate — after she was denied financial aid when her Social Security number suddenly listed her as deceased.
Carthen says CNN "got involved" after her story first gained media attention in 2007. With their help, she learned from the Social Security Administration in Washington, D.C., that her records were in a "deceased warehouse." SSA Regional Communications Director John Powell did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Webster University declined to comment, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Over the years, she has contacted four U.S. presidents — only getting a response from former President Donald Trump — and other government officials. She filed a lawsuit in 2019, but it was dismissed after the government said it had sovereign immunity. The 52-year-old — who has been unable to vote or maintain a steady job for an extended period of time — then changed her name in 2021 and received a new Social Security number, but despite each step, she's faced setbacks.
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