THE KIDZ CLUB

Sam
Sam is a member of The Kidz Club. He receives the highest level of care offered because his condition is so fragile.

Sam's public insurance caseworker stated that if Sam was not being cared for at The Kidz Club that he would have to be institutionalized. Sam has made progress but his condition is such that he will always need a high level of care. The real bonus for Sam is that he gets to live with his family and his mother and father are able to work full-time, thus, making the entire family's lifestyle much more “satisfying and normal”.

Christopher
Christopher came to The Kidz Club at the age of two years old. Before The Kidz Club Christopher's hospitalization costs alone were $74,113.50 (or $37,056 annualized). Christopher's pediatrician stated that Christopher would require home health if he were not a member of The Kidz Club. Because of Christopher's complex medical needs, he would need full time Home Health provided by an RN. His life would be highly isolated as he would have to stay home with a nurse and his mom.

During the 27 months Christopher has been at The Kidz Club he has not required any hospitalizations. The Kidz Club nursing staff works closely with Christopher's pediatrician and they have been able to recognize changes in his condition and inform his doctor before any problem has escalated into one that requires hospital care. This has resulted in a slight increase of Doctor office visits but has eliminated his need for hospital stays.

Christopher gets to interact with his peers. He is learning socialization skills and his best friend is a peer and not an adult nurse.

LaMont
LaMont was hospitalized for 125 days in his first two years and then came to The Kidz Club at his pulmonologist's referral. With an average of 60 days per year of hospitalization at an average of $2,500/day, his annual hospital bill was approximately $150,000. He also had ongoing IV treatments that averaged approximately $5,000/month or $60,000 annually. His emergency visits and extra M.D. office visits easily pushed his annual medical costs to over $250,000 annually. The cost is mind-boggling but the real loss can not be retrieved, LaMont's childhood. He spent a great deal of time in the hospital and doctors offices when he should have been playing with his friends.

Since LaMont has come to The Kidz Club two years ago, he has had only four (4) hospital days. He got his life back. LaMont has the same opportunities of a normal child and his mother is able to work full time, allowing her to become a very successful businessperson.

Susie
Prior to Susie's arrival at The Kidz Club in November 1999, she was in the Frazier Rehabilitation Outpatient Program for 6 hours per day (with a parent's attendance required), 5 days per week. Susie and her mother are grateful that they found The Kidz Club. The most probable alternative for Susie would have been an institutional setting or home health nursing, both of which would have forced Susie to be apart from her peers. The real bonus for Susie is that she gets to live with her mother and be around other children. The benefit to her mother is that she could return to work, escape financial ruin and, of course, get to live with her daughter (which she had already begun to give up on).

Elizabeth
Elizabeth came into the world at 23 weeks. She weighed 1 pound 3 ounces at birth. Medically fragile from the start, she suffered from chronic lung disease, a detached retina with blindness and asthma. She also had severe constipation. She was enrolled in The Kidz Club in April of 2001 when she was one year old. Shy and developmentally delayed, she was not walking or speaking. She received therapies from independent therapists while she attended The Kidz Club. The Kidz Club staff implemented a therapy follow-up program that integrated Elizabeth's therapies with her playtime. Elizabeth is now walking and talking and loves to sing country songs. Presently she attends The School for the Blind and The Kidz Club. She is teaching our staff all kinds of new things, such as how to properly lead her around the center. Elizabeth is very happy little girl. These accomplishments are spectacular as they are unexpected. Elizabeth's days are spent with friends at school and childcare. A very typical day for a girl of her age.