TRENTON, NEW JERSEY –The Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund Commission (CICRFC) announced this week that it has approved a total of $7.7 million in grants this year to help pay medical costs for 288 New Jersey families struggling to pay medical expenses for their sick children.  The fund is collected from an annual surcharge of $1 per employee levied on all employers who are subject to the New Jersey Unemployment Compensation Law.  A family may qualify for the fund’s help if a child’s unreimbursed medical and related expenses exceed 10 percent of the family’s income up to $100,000 plus 15 percent of any excess income over $100,000.  The child must have been 18 years or younger when the medical expenses were incurred, and families must be state residents. The CICRF is “in but not of” the Department of Human Services.

Department of Human Services Commissioner Gwendolyn L. Harris recognized the dedication of the Commission members and the struggles of the parents who need the financial relief provided by the fund.  “It gives me great joy to see that this fund can provide tangible relief for so many New Jersey families with nowhere else to turn,” said Commissioner Harris.

Also attending were some families who previously benefited from the fund and now serve as volunteers on the Commission’s Family Advisory Committee.  “I would like to personally thank those families here today who continue to extend themselves despite their own difficult circumstances.  Your efforts to assist other families have helped make the program so successful and so rewarding,” said Commission vice-chairperson, William Ditto.

The Commission also honored Marilyn Coppola of Randolph as Parent Volunteer of the Year for her untiring efforts to help make information on the fund available to other families in need.  Among her activities was the placement of program information on the internal website of her employer, Pfizer, Inc. so that all employees could have access to information on this unique state resource.  The Commission also recognized Pfizer, Inc. for supporting their employee in this effort.  The Coppola family attended last December’s ceremony in the State House.

While legislation creating the fund protects the anonymity of families who have received grant awards, several of the families in attendance were willing to share their experience as a way of encouraging other families in need to apply for assistance.  They were:

Jesus and Annmarie Fernandez of Forked River, Ocean County, were insured when their daughter Kacy required a second surgery to correct her congenital heart defects.  Flanked by her mom and grandmother, and wearing a bright sunflower hat and sundress for the ceremony, little two and a half-year-old Kacy Fernandez, who recently suffered a stroke, clapped her hands and tugged on the blue, green and white balloon centerpiece, unaware that she was a twice-fortunate recipient.  She did well with her first surgery and received outpatient follow up and therapies.  The Fernandez family knew from experience with Kacy’s first surgery, for which they received a grant award from the fund, that insurance would fall short of completely covering her medical bills.  Once again, they turned to the Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund Commission for help.  The Commission was able to assist them with over $29,000 to pay for hospital and physician care as well as pharmacy expenses.

Kaushik and Jayshriben Naik of Clifton, Passaic County, had health insurance but were faced with many uncovered expenses for their teenaged son, Dipan.  Now 15 years old, Dipan was born with a rare disorder that causes his bones to fracture easily.  Due to his physical condition, Dipan uses a wheelchair for many of his mobility needs.  The Naiks were challenged with providing safe transportation for their son, as well as modifying their home to accommodate his wheelchair and special needs.  They were also left with many expenses for medical care and therapies not fully covered by insurance.  They have been awarded over $75,000 to assist with those expenses.

Richard Gioia had the audience and his wife in tears as he recounted their daughter’s ongoing battle with cancer.  Richard and Denise Gioia of Wayne, Passaic County, were insured when their daughter, Nicole, was diagnosed at age 10 years with cancer of the lymph system.  Now 12, Nicole continues her treatment and has received care in New Jersey as well as out-of-state hospitals.  The family became inundated with bills, which were not fully covered by insurance, for both hospital and physician expenses.  They will receive over $70,000 to assist with their financial burden while Nicole continues her fight.

Cheryl Cobbertt of Orange, Essex County, was so moved with thanks that she could barely tell her son’s story.  She recounted how her son was born with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, had some mild autism, and then was informed by her pediatrician that five-year-old Charles’ health was threatened with a high lead level.  Her local health department told her she needed to make changes in her home to remove the lead hazards that were affecting her son.  Incurring loans, she began the abatement process.  Subsequently, Charles’ lead levels decreased.  The fund will reimburse those expenses in the amount of $25,000, providing substantial relief for the family’s financial burden.

Juan and Maria Tohan of Elizabeth, Union County had been making payments on their son, Matthew’s, uncovered hospital bills for several years.  Matthew was born with a bleeding into the spinal cord which caused paralysis.  Now six and a half years old, Matthew walks with leg braces and a walker and continues with outpatient therapies to improve his mobility.  These five-year-old bills had been sent to a collection agency, even though the family had been trying to make payments whenever they could.  The Commission approved an award of over $8,000 to relieve them of this old medical debt, letting them move forward and focus on the future needs of their child.

Of families unable to attend were Anthony and Carie Putney of Lakehurst, Ocean County, who had to purchase a modified vehicle to accommodate the needs of their daughter, Lillian.  Now four and one-half, Lillian experienced an episode of influenza when she was a toddler and subsequently developed seizures as well as significant developmental delays.  Her family transports her to frequent physical and occupational therapy appointments.  The specialized vehicle makes these trips possible for Lillian, who uses a wheelchair.  The Commission approved an award of over $42,000 to alleviate their transportation and uncovered medical expenses.

Matthew and Marilyn Coppola of Randolph, Morris County, with health insurance received through employment, incurred significant out-of-pocket expenses for their son Matthew’s special needs when he was 18.  Matthew, now 19, has cerebral palsy and respiratory problems and uses a wheelchair for all of his mobility needs.  The family made their home more accessible to Matthew by modifying an existing bathroom to accommodate his wheelchair.  They knew that these types of expenses were not covered by health insurance but were considered by the fund.  They were approved for over $35,000 from the fund to offset these out-of-pocket costs.  For more information on the Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund, call Mary Ann Whiteman, executive director, at 609-292-0600 or the Family Information Line, 1-800-335-FUND.    

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