PALMETTO, Fla. — Many Americans face the burden of growing medical debt, sometimes forcing them to forego medical treatment that could improve their lives and health, but for people with chronic illnesses, skipping or delaying medical treatment isn’t an option; it’s life-threatening.
10-year-old Zahra is just like any kid. She’s fascinated with life and she loves to build. “She’s a very sweet girl. She loves the planets. Everything that has to do with the solar system,” said Zahra’s mother, Sarai Vasquez, in Spanish.
Little Zahra has an extreme form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. In addition to the autoimmune disease, Zahra has autism. Her family moved to the Bay Area last year from Puerto Rico in order for her to receive the best care possible, but that move came at a hefty price. “We had debt from the hospitals,” said Vasquez.
Vasquez showed me one of their medical bills. “Here are the bills that we had to pay for at All Children's Hospital. $4,429.49,” said Vasquez. Vasquez says they’ve paid about $10,000 in medical bills just over the past year, which is why they set up a GoFundMe page to help alleviate the financial strain.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, $ 4.1 trillion dollars is spent on health care annually in the United States, and of that, 90% are for people with chronic diseases, including mental health conditions.
The Epilepsy Services Foundation is a local non-profit and they’ve been a resource for Zahra and her mother. They raise money during their “Walk for Epilepsy” events in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties to support local children with the disease. They started their Medical Assistance Fund about a year ago to help families pay for EEGs. “Not everyone is in need of it, but for those who are, it’s been really instrumental in getting their child the help that they need,” said Cassie Corral with the Epilepsy Services Foundation.
EEGs are required to diagnose epilepsy and can cost hundreds of dollars. Dr. Ernesto Millan showed me how the data looks on his computer screen. “We do EEGs for many patients to detect seizures and this is the standard. Basically, the standard in order to report seizures and diagnose epilepsy,” said Dr. Millan.
“What we have found is that people who have catastrophic illnesses or catastrophic conditions, they have a lifetime of expenses,” said Kelly Green with Help Hope Live.
Help Hope Live is a national non-profit organization dedicated to helping those with injuries and illnesses meet the out-of-pocket expenses associated with the medical attention they require. They do this by providing financial assistance and helping families crowdfund. “And what happens is, oftentimes, you have the best insurance possible, but what it doesn’t cover are – simply we don’t think about it, right? We don’t think about co-pays and deductibles and how much they add up,” said Green.
If you’d like to help Zahra by donating to help pay for her medical bills, click here.
Other resources:
