Breathing Better
For 30 years, Joyce dedicated her life to a healthcare career as a registered medical assistant at UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central in Colorado Springs, Colorado. By day, she kept thousands of people in her community happy and healthy. By night, Joyce took in the area’s natural beauty.
“Our home looks out over a golf course with the Rocky Mountains in the distance,” Joyce said. “It’s a million-dollar view.”
While she and her husband love the mountain life, the high elevation makes living with pulmonary hypertension — a disease was diagnosed with in 2019 — a challenge. They’re in the process of moving to Florida where Joyce can breathe easier.
“I’m looking forward to being able to breathe at sea level,” she said. “Our children will gladly fly to Florida and use the pool!”
To manage her symptoms, Joyce’s doctor prescribed her two different treatments. However, the cost meant the treatment was out of reach.
“I was freaking out. I said, ‘There is no way,’” Joyce said. “We could not afford the $2,000 copayments.”
That’s when Joyce’s pharmacist referred her to The Assistance Fund’s (TAF’s) Pulmonary Hypertension Copay Assistance Program. The program provides financial assistance for all FDA-approved treatment for pulmonary hypertension, including copays, deductibles, and coinsurance.
“TAF is a blessing to our family,” she said. “Applying was so easy. Within minutes, they notified me that I was approved.”
With TAF’s help, Joyce is continuing her care at the Mayo Clinic near her new home in Jacksonville, Florida. Their world-class specialists ensure Joyce gets the treatment she needs and is back to doing what she loves most: spending time with family and her eight-year-old Jack-A-Poo, who accompanied her throughout her radiation treatment.
“Jack is spoiled rotten and rules our house,” Joyce said. “He’s my love.”
Joyce credits TAF’s support, her loving husband, and their dog, she says, with helping her maintain her lifestyle.
“I can never repay TAF enough for the help they provide us. I could not have done any of this without them,” Joyce said. “Thank God for TAF.”
