Rachel, above, is a beautiful, energetic, freckled little 9 year old girl.
She was born with deformed vertebrae down her spine and ribs fused together around her chest – deformities which crushed her lungs and restricted her breathing. She had her first surgery as a toddler and followed that with 15 more.
Now here is the miracle: brilliant people designed expandable metal rods which were placed vertically along her chest wall. Every 6 months she goes in and has another surgery to gradually expand them so that her chest can grow normally and her lungs and heart can work properly.
Which brings me to the point of this blog. UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation stepped up to help. Medical care is expensive and not everything is covered by insurance, so they help cover some of those expenses. Rachel’s parents were one of many recipients of a grant from this foundation.
So far, UHC Children’s Foundation has given out 13,000 Grants, paying for medical expenses that children’s insurance did not cover. They want to give out 20,000 grants by the year 2020, and need us to get the word out.
I see children every week whose parents are financially crippled by copayments and deductibles, who can’t afford the upgraded wheelchair their child needs or the physical or speech therapy sessions that are over their insurance limit. Let’s help the Children’s Foundation give them a hand.
Kids who receive grants must be 16 years of age or less, covered by commercial insurance, and live in the US; they take into consideration the severity of the illness and the parent’s financial need. Grants are up to $5000 and cover expenses from 6 months prior to the application for a period of a year.
88.9% of completed, qualifying applications are granted.
In order to get this information out, they are giving away a $50.00 Amazon gift card to one of the people who shares this blog and refers a friend. The winner will be chosen on June 30.
Enter here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I am being compensated to write this post, and since UHCCF is funded by donations, that check is going directly into their fund. If you would like to contribute they would absolutely welcome your donation as well, here.
Let’s do this.
