Zack's Story

I have been a HealthWell grant recipient for many years now. I have not always taken ‘full advantage’ of my grants’ abilities but have always been grateful for the Cystic Fibrosis therapies and treatments as well as the Vitamins and Supplements funds for nearly all of my prescription needs.

This past year, 2024, the state of Texas removed their support that was allowing my wife (also a CF grant recipient) and I access to the “Extra Help” portion of Medicare assistance, stopped covering our Medicare premiums, and removed our SNAP benefits, due to income level. We bring in approximately $2850 / month before deductions. We lost about $500/month in food benefits, and after Medicare taking their cut of $185 each, we have been left with less than $2500 / month to fully support ourselves.

My wife has been hospitalized 3-4 times a year for the past several years, as she has been unable to tolerate the newer genetic modulators that have helped the majority of the CF population – me included. While I have remained mostly stable with 30-40% lung function the last several years, we were left without a choice but to try and find part-time work that would fit our therapy schedules, as well as our physical limitations. We tried DoorDash as it fit the needs of our schedule limitations but quickly discovered that while I was able to handle the physical aspects, the income was nominal and the wear and tear on our vehicle left us without A/C during Texas summers. We also had a number of other issues that popped up with our vehicle in the short timeframe and have been unable to afford the proper repairs. I had a friend give me a recommendation at our local FedEx branch, and I have been there for several months now with great success.

I began to explore the full breadth of the vitamins and supplements grant by purchasing Fairlife shakes and RXBars as quick snacks that have been helpful for the on-the-go job of delivery driving, and they seemed to help me stabilize the weight loss I was experiencing with the added cardio and energy consumption of the part-time job.

In December, our HealthWell grants expired. Both my wife and I lost coverage for both CF Therapies and Vitamins + Supplements grants as the portals were not open for re-enrollment. It was a punishing blow, after having some income stability and job satisfaction with FedEx being incredibly gracious with my limitations. It drove me to a place of both hurt, and also gratitude for what y’all do for us that I don’t know if I have ever truly reflected upon.

We were forced, once again, to make some sacrifices to cover the cost of our prescription needs in December as well as find a solution to my energy needs on the days that I work. We made the necessary sacrifices, as any human being does when pushed back in a corner, and though the portals are now re-open again, and we have been pre-approved pending an income verification, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to pause and say THANK YOU. Thank y’all for existing, for trying to do the right thing in helping real people with real disabilities solve their real-world problems. I know probably all Foundations start with that goal in mind; and I hope that stays the heartbeat of HealthWell in the years to come.

Zachary D.