Pediatric Patient Overcomes Challenges

August 31, 2021

food allergy/immunosuppressed patient outside SoCal Food Allergy Institute

Sammy's Struggles

Sammy is an average pre-teen boy who lives near New York City. He enjoys skateboarding and other outdoor activities.

But some parts of his young life have been anything but average. Sammy’s immune system is weak, making him more susceptible to illness than many of his peers. In addition to the challenges that come with being immunosuppressed, Sammy also has multiple severe food allergies that can cause anaphylaxis.

Across The Country

Sammy’s mother, Allison, wanted her son to have the best quality of life possible. She started searching for help. There was a team of specialists at the Southern California Food Allergy Institute. Sammy and Allison had to fly from New York to California every ten weeks. The treatment for Sammy’s food allergies and suppressed immune system was supposed to go on for three years.

Unfortunately, the frequent long-distance flights got very expensive very quickly. “We were stretching ourselves beyond our financial abilities,” said Allison. As travel costs continued to rise, a question burdened Allison. How would Sammy continue to receive the care he so desperately needed?

Barrier Removed

That was when Allison found out about Mercy Medical Angels. The nonprofit arranged flights to and from California. Multiple round-trip airline tickets, once far too expensive for Allison to cover, were now free. The barrier to medical care was effectively removed.

Now, Sammy is doing much better. Allison is relieved that her son’s quality of life is improving. “The program is working,” said Allison. “We were able to sustain this – all thanks to Mercy Medical Angels!”