Nonprofit Launches Micro-Grant Fund to Help PH Patients with Unmet Needs

Rare Daily Staff

Team PHenomenal Hope, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting people diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (PH), has created the Team PH Unmet Needs Patient Impact Fund, a micro-grant fund to address immediate, non-medication needs of PH patients.

PH is a rare disease that causes high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, putting unnecessary stress on the heart and lungs. Treatment can lead to harsh side effects that leave patients with other health concerns. There is currently no cure, and it can eventually be fatal.

Team PH said it created the fund to address financial insecurity surrounding healthcare and the decision by another nonprofit organization to end its financial assistance fund.

Under the program, PH patients may apply to receive a $500 grant to meet immediate needs excluding the cost of medications. This might include travel and lodging to see a PH specialist, emergency repairs to a home, or simply to purchase of groceries.

The fund originally was created in the fall of 2017 to address the needs of victims of hurricanes that wreaked havoc in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Patients with PH faced greater difficulty recovering from the storms because of their health problems.

“We are living in a time of uncertainty in the world of healthcare, and people who have PH are obligated to deal with that on top of their debilitating disease,” said Patricia George, a pulmonologist and founder of Team PH. “The Team PH Unmet Needs Patient Impact [fund] allows us to lend a helping hand to these folks, and alleviate some of the stress that comes with being diagnosed with a chronic disease.”

More information about the Team PH Unmet Needs Patient Impact Fund can be found on the organization’s website.

October 22, 2018
Patricia George, a pulmonologist and founder of Team PH