Providing access to medication is central to APC’s mission. For many underserved children in our community, APC is the source of medication which will change the course of a child’s life. Anar, now 10 months old, is growing and thriving due, in large part, to the care and medications he has received at APC.
ANAR’S STORY
Anar’s mother, Purevsuren, was pregnant with twin boys when she went into labor prematurely at 30 weeks gestation. Anar spent 4 weeks in neonatal intensive care, but sadly, his twin brother did not survive. Because of his prematurity, Anar was at risk for asthma and RAD (Reactive Airway Disease). Anar’s parents were aware of his delicate health but afraid to seek treatment at the Emergency Room because of the cost. Unfortunately, this predicament is far too common. The cost of prescription medicine alone often keeps a family from seeking care for even a simple medical condition.
Anar had his first pediatric visit at APC when he was 6 months old. He was already very sick, suffering from asthma and other respiratory illnesses and on the verge of hospitalization. Fortunately, with the care of APC pediatricians and nurses, Anar could be treated as an outpatient with the asthma medications, Albuterol and Pulmicort, which were supplied by our Pharmacy Assistance Program. The program also provided Synagis, an expensive immunotherapy medication that helps prevent a common type of respiratory infection that can lead to serious respiratory complications in premature infants. With the help of APC, Anar is on his way to a much healthier childhood.
On behalf of Anar and the hundreds of APC patients who received medications through our Pharmacy Assistance Program, we would like to thank our generous benefactors: the Vicky Collins Charitable Foundation, the Community Foundation of the National Capital Area, the Singhal Family, and NovaScripts Central. Over 550 prescriptions were provided by this program, filling an enormous, unmet need of our patients. To learn more about how you can make prescription medication available for a child in-need, please contact Shelley Cooke, director of development, at 703.717.7561 or scooke@arlpedcen.org.
Read the full Spring/Summer 2012 APC Access Newsletter here.