Thriving in Her New Home
The biggest joy for Suzie comes each morning when she steps out of her tiny house. She might do yoga, walk around the nearby pond, or say hello to one of her neighbors. The time outdoors brings her serenity as well as exercise.
“I love to sit by the pond and watch the turtles, birds, and honeybees,” Suzie said. “Every day I try and do something, even if all I can do is walk around.”
For years, a simple walk was out of reach. Aches, pains, and frequent broken bones meant Suzie required a wheelchair. From the time her symptoms began, she struggled to remain active. At one point, her bones became so brittle, she was bedridden. Her doctors were at a loss.
“If I opened up the door to go out, I would fracture my hand,” Suzie said. “I was afraid to do anything.”
Finally, a doctor at the Duke University Hospital said it may be a rare disease called hypophosphatemia, a rare blood disease. Adults living with hypophosphatemia experience weakness, fatigue, bone fractures, and confusion. Tests confirmed the diagnosis in June 2020, and she immediately sought treatment. Suzie was thrilled to start the new treatment, but the cost left her stunned.
“With my limited income, I could not have afforded the treatment on my own,” Suzie said. “The injections can be very expensive.”
Her pharmacist told her not to worry and recommended Suzie apply to The Assistance Fund’s (TAF’s) Hypophosphatemia Financial Assistance Program. The program provides financial assistance for out-of-pocket costs for prescription copays, health insurance premiums, therapy administration costs, disease management, travel costs, and diagnostic and genetic testing.
“The Assistance Fund has been great,” she said. “Whenever I call or have questions, everybody at TAF is just so friendly.”
With her 35-year career in banking complete and her health improving, Suzie was ready to soak in the sun. Leaving South Carolina, her home since 1975, was hard.
“I moved 500 miles away from my home and family,” Suzie said. “But I can participate in yoga and walk 30 minutes every day.”
Suzie’s family remains there, including her great-nephew whom she helped raise. But with the move has come, according to Suzie, a “new, better life.”
“I was able to move here because of TAF,” Suzie said. “If they hadn’t been there to bridge the costs of my treatment, I don’t even know if I would still be here.”
Suzie will soon travel back to South Carolina to see her family. Her great-nephew is thriving, she says, and she has so much more life to live.
“I have plans to live to 104,” she said. “I can’t express enough how grateful I am. TAF’s given me my life back.”
