Putting Family First
Working as an accountant, Rex was pulled all over the country. When he and his wife, Sandy, relocated to Greenville, South Carolina, in the early 2000s, they were thrilled.
“Family is close by, which is nice,” Rex said. “I was able to assist with my parents getting older.”
Just as he began settling into retirement, Rex’s world was turned upside down. In February 2020, he was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The condition, which causes scar tissue to grow in his lungs and makes breathing difficult, took Rex by surprise.
“The diagnosis was a real shocker; I’d never heard of IPF,” he said. “I’d always been the healthy one in the family.”
The timing couldn’t have been worse. As Rex learned more about his disease, he also faced a mysterious, unknown virus: COVID-19.
“My doctor said COVID-19 would be good training for how to behave moving forward,” Rex said. “Now I’m in the habit of being more careful around people.”
Rex was initially able to access his treatment through a pharmacy grant. When that grant ran out, Rex was on his own to find assistance.
“Paying for the treatment would have eaten into my retirement tremendously,” he said. “It’s over $10,000 a month.”
His search brought him to The Assistance Fund’s (TAF’s) Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Copay Assistance Program. The program provides financial assistance for out-of-pocket costs for all FDA-approved treatment for the disease named in the program, such as copays, deductibles, and coinsurance.
“TAF stepped in and has been such a blessing,” Rex said. “And TAF is so reliable. I was thrilled because that medicine is so expensive.”
In the two years since his diagnosis, Rex has continued to travel and enjoy retirement. He remains off of oxygen support, and his doctor said his disease has progressed slowly.
“I really haven’t had a drop in my capacity since I’ve been diagnosed,” he said. “I hope I’m going to beat the odds.”
Rex, Sandy, and their family were thrilled to hold large gatherings again, coming together for the holidays this year. It also meant doing something Rex loves: spending quality time with Kyleigh and Brexton, his two grandkids.
“I wouldn’t be able to do that if I were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a month on my medication,” Rex said. “TAF has been a tremendous help.”
