“Not Being Able to Afford Medication for Our Child is Devastating”
During the month of August, Real World Health Care will take a short break from focusing on medical breakthroughs and the researchers who are shaping the future of medicine. We will instead bring you a special series from our sponsor, the HealthWell Foundation, about what happens when families cannot afford the medical treatments their children desperately need. The families we will profile have turned to the Foundation for help, through the HealthWell Pediatric Assistance Fund®, the only fund of its kind.
Did You Know?
Thanks to HealthWell’s Pediatric Assistance Fund, more than 400 children suffering from 90 life-altering conditions have been able to access critical medical treatments.
Since its launch in 2013, HealthWell’s Pediatric Assistance Fund has awarded more than $850,000 in grants to help more than 400 children start or continue critical treatments covering more than 90 disease areas and conditions, including ADHD, autism, cerebral palsy, Type 1 Diabetes, epilepsy, scoliosis, seizure disorder and many more. The Fund covers family cost-shares for surgical procedures, medical devices, counseling services, prescription drug copays and other out-of-pocket costs. This week, we’d like you to meet Alejandro, who was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when he was six weeks old.
In the following letter, Alejandro’s parents, Ruben and Thelma, share the challenges of affording care for their child and the big difference that HealthWell’s Pediatric Assistance Fund grant made in their lives.
Aljeandro
“Our son, Alejandro, was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) when he was six weeks old. This was a time with many mixed emotions for our family. Alejandro is a twin and we were thrilled to welcome two new babies into our family. Along with our excitement, there were many sad times because we were scared of the unknown: CF and our biggest fear as parents came true with his diagnosis. He has a chronic illness that can be managed, somewhat, but has no cure.
CF is a disease that requires Alejandro to take many medications and breathing treatments. As part of his treatment, his doctors prescribed medication during the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season. Alejandro was prescribed one shot per month for a total of five shots; one for each month from November through March. Our out-of-pocket cost is $750 [$150 per shot], which is a huge financial burden. We applied to the HealthWell Foundation for financial assistance in order to be able to pay the copayment for Alejandro’s treatment. We also contacted the manufacturer of the drug. Unfortunately, having CF does not make you eligible to receive financial support. Having a child with a chronic illness has placed a lot of stress on our family, especially on my husband and me.
Not being able to afford medication for our child is devastating and extremely frustrating for us as parents. This is why we are so thankful for the Pediatric Assistance Fund through the HealthWell Foundation. Without a grant, we would not have been able to afford this extremely important medication for Alejandro. Receiving help was heartwarming to us because, although the contributors to the Pediatric Assistance Fund do not know our son, they were willing to donate money to ensure a child who is in need of medication receives it. On behalf of Alejandro and our family, we would like to thank all of those kind people who donate their hard earned money for children like Alejandro who need extras in order to live.”
Ruben & Thelma (Alejandro’s parents)
Companies: An average Pediatric Assistance Fund grant is $2,500. With your corporate donation, you can help children like Alejandro afford the medical treatments they desperately need. Donate today to HealthWell’s Pediatric Assistance Fund.