LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It is one thing no mum or dad needs to listen to: your youngster has a critical sickness.
This month’s Vegas Stronger Champion makes it her mission to assist sufferers and households navigate our medical system throughout their time of want.
Adopting two youngsters with pre-existing medical situations led Rebeka Acosta from a 15-year profession in medical administration to a profession in medical advocacy by way of her non-profit, A+J Patient Advocacy. She helps dad and mom and younger adults navigate the medical system to make sure they’re conscious of their analysis and their therapy choices.
“At first, they’re very scared,” Acosta says. “You could have a sick child, otherwise you’ve simply came upon you’re pregnant and you recognize there’s some form of analysis, and also you don’t know proceed or what’s subsequent.”
She provides that feeling overwhelmed by a posh medical analysis is regular.
“It’s like I inform all of my dad and mom, particularly with the analysis for younger kids, you’re not imagined to know this! This isn’t regular data and you can’t study this in 30 seconds on YouTube. It actually takes coaching and plenty of expertise in studying how the system works, and it’s at all times altering,” Acosta tells KTNV.
Because the daughter of a social employee and a trainer, Acosta believes her providers are one thing that everyone deserves, and he or she operates A+J Affected person Advocacy freed from cost.
One in all her sufferers is 25-year-old Dijonasse Lofton. She’s been residing with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome for the final a number of years.
“It’s principally if you dwell with a excessive coronary heart price on a regular basis,” Lofton explains, “and on high of that, I’ve hypertension, and low blood stress, so all of it fluctuates up and down.”
Seeing nurses and docs has been an enormous a part of Lofton’s younger maturity, however she says that because of A+J Affected person Advocacy, she’s extra optimistic than ever.
“Rebeka’s been actually useful in retaining me optimistic, and he or she helps me search for new docs on a regular basis. She’s been serving to me search for new therapy plans,” Lofton added.
For her tireless work to assist these in want, Rebeka Acosta is January’s Vegas Stronger Champion. Jeff Giles of Findlay Automotive Group lately introduced A+J Affected person Advocacy with a donation to help their work.
“We heard about what you guys are doing, and we predict it’s fantastic,” Giles instructed Acosta. “Our medical system is difficult, and you’re feeling at your worst, after which somebody asks you to stroll by way of a maze and fill out varieties whilst you’re doing it. It’s so nice to have a information and an advocate for sufferers who want that, and so many individuals do.”
Acosta says she appreciates the popularity and that her work “is all about our sufferers and ensuring they’ve what they want, and that they’re getting every part they’ll to dwell their greatest life.”
For extra tales of individuals making the Vegas neighborhood stronger, go to ktnv.com/vegasstronger.
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Vegas Stronger Champion is sponsored by Findlay Automotive Group.
