Finding New Purpose
For Sharon, 2017 was a memorable year. Not only did she relocate from the Chicagoland area to Kansas City to care for an aging parent, but she also learned she was living with pulmonary hypertension (PH).
“People talk about remembering where you were on 9/11 or when the Challenger exploded,” Sharon said. “But I’ll never forget when my doctor told me how sick I was.”
The diagnosis inspired her to do more to keep her body and mind healthy and helped her discover a new passion: nutrition and exercise.
“I believe that nutrition is just as important as medication,” she said. “It makes me feel in control.”
Sharon’s wellness plan, along with her PH treatment, promised to effectively manage her symptoms. There was just one problem: the cost of Sharon’s treatment was $500,000 a year.
“That cold fear just gripped me,” Sharon said. “I thought ‘I’m dying, and I don’t know how to do this.’”
That’s when she was referred by a nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City to The Assistance Fund’s (TAF’s) Pulmonary Hypertension Copay Assistance Program. The program provides eligible individuals with financial assistance for out-of-pocket costs for all prescribed FDA-approved treatment for PH, such as copays, deductibles, and coinsurance.
“The help from TAF just means so much to me,” Sharon said. “Every month, I am so grateful for how things have worked out for me.”
When Sharon is not focused on her own health, she’s giving back by helping others navigate life with PH. She volunteers with the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, an international community of more than 16,000 consisting of people living with PH, caregivers, family members, and healthcare professionals.
“When I was first diagnosed, I was scared,” she said. “I know how confusing it is. If I can help somebody else — just one person through it — I will.”
And Sharon volunteers as a phone friend for people recently diagnosed with PH, helping more people by sharing her story, encouraging people to stay positive, and directing them to available resources.
“There is a saying: ‘Give away what you wish you had,’” Sharon said. “That’s what I’m doing. All of the things that I like getting, like comfort and support, I try to give to others.”
