Grant helps a young girl manage her diabetes
Opal’s story
As she scales the climbing wall at the park near her home, 2-year-old Opal giggles. Her twin brother, Otis, is at the top, laughing right along with her.
"Twins are crazy. Toddler twins are next level," said Kate, Opal and Otis’s mom.
"A lot of the time, we’re just trying to keep up," echos their dad, Kyle.
And when an unexpected health challenge popped up for little Opal, just keeping up became even more difficult.
One morning, Opal’s dad found her shaking, slurring her words and with blue lips. After visits to their pediatrician and specialists, the diagnosis was clear: Type 1 diabetes.
"I was in disbelief. The weight of it was so heavy when I found out," Kate said.
What followed was a year of pokes, prods and training to help Opal live a healthy life with diabetes. She now wears a continuous glucose monitor and an insulin pump.
Between all the doctor visits and the new tools needed to help manage her diabetes, the costs piled up quickly.
“Monthly bills are already overwhelming. To add all of Opal’s prescriptions on top was even more overwhelming,” Kyle said.
With help from the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF), Opal’s family qualified for a grant to help cover the costs of her diabetes prescriptions.
“When we received the grant from the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation, it felt like a relief. I felt like we don’t have to worry about that,” Kate said.
Since 2005, UHCCF has awarded more than 40,000 grants valued at over $80 million. The funding pays for children’s medical expenses not covered, or not fully covered, by a commercial health insurance plan.
When you find Opal on a playground today, she’s still the same little girl — full of life, with a healthy future ahead of her.
“This is a condition she will have for the rest of her life, but that doesn’t define who she is,” Kyle said. “I don’t think Type 1 diabetes will limit what Opal can do. I think she’s going to be a champion for Type 1 as she grows up.”
Are you eligible?
- Grant recipients must be 16 years old or younger at the time of application
- Must meet eligible income requirements
- Must be children under the care of a licensed medical professional with services rendered within the United States
- Primary coverage for a child must be by a commercial health plan, either through an employer or individually purchased. Secondary insurance through Medicaid or CHIP is permissible.
Do you know a family who could benefit from a children’s medical grant? The UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation is currently accepting grant applications. Visit UHCCF.org for more information on how to apply.
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