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Idol Gives Back Impact

Thank You American Idol Viewers

Your donations from last year helped thousands of children get the health care they deserve.  The Idol Gives Back grant has funded more than 100,000 medical, mental health and dental care visits to children and families across the country and counting...

Primary Care
More than 20 Million children aren’t getting the necessary preventative and primary care they need to grow and thrive, causing millions of unnecessary trips to Emergency Rooms.  The grant has provided…

  • Three new Children’s Health Fund mobile medical units, including one in New Orleans
  • Expanded Health Care Services and Capacity throughout the Children’s Health Fund’s National Network
  • Primary care services to more than 50,000 low income children in both rural and urban communities across the country.
  • 3 more pediatricians – this will ensure that by year end more than 1,000 children will receive immunizations, treatment for chronic diseases, and acute care.
     

Mental Health
The Surgeon General says that 1 in 5 children have a diagnosable mental disorder. More than 70% of American youth don’t receive the mental health counseling they need. Without intervention childhood mental disorders may have serious repercussions including school failure, drug abuse, violence and suicide.
The grant has provided:

  • 4 more psychologists and social workers
  • One new state-of-the-art Mobile Mental Health Unit, providing mental health services to more than 500 additional high risk children this year, many of whom have been victims of trauma and violence.
     

Dental
The Surgeon General calls dental problems the “Silent Epidemic” that results in more than 51 Million school hours of missed school each year. The grant has:

  • Expanded and/or started dental services in four communities – the hiring of new staff and upgrade of state-of-the art equipment including one new custom designed Mobile Dental Health Unit will provide dental services to 3,500 kids within the first year – caring for more than 70,000 teeth.

Nutrition
25 Million children in the US are overweight or obese, that’s one in every 3 children between the ages 2 and 19. Obesity increases the risk of many chronic diseases including diabetes and cancer.
The grant made it possible to:

  • Hire 1 more nutritionist – within the first year more than 100 overweight teenagers will learn what it takes to be healthy and how to prevent or manage Type II Diabetes.

 

Patient Profile: Chloe

A six year old girl named Chloe came to the Children’s Health Fund’s program with her mother. Chloe had a history of severe eczema since infancy. She was previously seen and treated by numerous providers and emergency room doctors who gave her medications and creams, but had little success in improving her condition. Chloe was embarrassed by the way she looked and didn’t like to be seen in public or play with other children. Her symptoms were so severe she often missed several days of school a week and was even sent home from school regularly because of bleeding and discomfort. Her eczema was so severe it would often get infected. Chloe was embarrassed by the way she looked and didn’t like to be seen in public or play with other children.

Children's Health Fund has Impact
Prior to her meeting Dr. Persharon Dixon, CHF’s Medical Director and the rest of the team at The Mississippi Gulf Coast Children’s Health Project, no one had ever suggested she be tested for food allergies, a common cause of eczema. Dr. Dixon suggested trying an elimination diet and starting out by removing dairy from Chloe’s diet. Within 1 week, Chloe showed dramatic improvements. She was able to attend school without having to leave, was sleeping through the night—something she had not been able to do because of itching, and she was acting like a normal, happy, healthy six year old.
 

Patient Profile: Michael

Six year old Michael* lost his home in the storm and was living in a trailer when his mother who brought him to the Children’s Health Fund’s Mobile Medical Unit because he was having difficulty breathing. The medical providers discovered that he had both asthma and pneumonia and were able to treat him and provide him with the medication he needed free of charge.   The medical providers were able to treat him and provide him with the medication he needed free of charge. His mother was also severely ill suffering from heart failure, but had been struggling so hard to look after Michael that she had not been looking after herself properly. With the support of the Children’s Health Fund, both of their conditions are now stable; they are on medications and have found the energy to rebuild their home and their lives.
 

*Names and photos have been changed to protect the identity of the patient