An employee-funded charity, The Caring Program for Children, supplies durable medical equipment to children in need
For more information contact:
Kelly Cannon
816.395.3711 Kelly.Cannon@BlueKC.com
Kansas City, MO. (April 1, 2016) — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC), is proud to announce its employee-funded charity, The Caring Program for Children, is giving three Kansas City area children durable medical equipment to help them live more active lives.
On Friday, April 1, at an all-employee luncheon, three children will receive mobility devices.
Four-year-old Olivia will be given adaptive bike. Olivia has a condition that causes tremors in her legs. Olivia has had seizures since she was 18 months old and hasn’t been able to participate in everyday activities with her friends. The adaptive bike will allow her to play with her friends as well as get physical exercise and improve her muscle development to gain strength.
One-year-old Ma-Liyah has a genetic disease affecting the part of the nervous system that controls voluntary muscle movement. The Caring Program for Children is providing her with a stander to help her to stand and walk increasing muscle strength and helping her mobility.
Terrelle is an 18 year old with several medical conditions. He is non-ambulatory and non-verbal. Due to his complex medical condition, Terrelle is dependent on his mother, Rozann, for all aspects of daily care including transportation to school and doctors’ appointments.
For each trip, Rozann lifts Terelle and his wheelchair, a total of 190 pounds, in and out of their van. The Caring Program for Children is helping to purchase a van lift that will allow Rozann to transport Terrelle more easily. Before the lift, Rozann worried about hurting herself and, most important to her, dropping Terrelle.
Macaela Stephenson, Manager for Community Relations for Blue KC, said, “Through the generosity of our employees we are able to give children in Kansas City items that will enhance their quality of life and the lives of their families. We are proud to be a part of such a caring organization and support our community in this way.”
Founded in 1992, The Caring Program for Children is a not-for-profit organization sponsored by Blue KC and funded entirely by Blue KC employees. Over the past 2 years, The Caring Program has worked with 30 different agencies to fund almost 170 items including specialty formula, vehicle lifts, and iPads for children who are nonverbal.
The Caring Program for Children’s Mission: To enhance the quality of life for children in our community by providing durable medical equipment and related items that otherwise could not be afforded by the child’s family and are not covered by state or federal programs or by private insurance.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, the largest not-for-profit health insurer in Missouri and the only not-for-profit commercial health insurer in Kansas City, has been part of the Kansas City community since 1938. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City provides health coverage services to more than one million residents in the greater Kansas City area, including Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and 30 counties in Northwest Missouri. Our mission: to use our role as the area’s leading health insurer to provide affordable access to health care and to improve the health of our members. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information on the company, visit its website at BlueKC.com.
