One Person Can Change the World
Farquhar Honors College
Teagle Foundation - Knowledge for Freedom Program
Seeds of Knowledge
Renee G.
​
June 29, 2023
Inquiry:
How can we provide help to children with rare and special health needs in our community? Children with special health needs are majorly cast out of certain programs and ostracized from the general community both for health reasons and social reasons.
​
What:
By creating 2 internet accounts including a website and social media, to bring awareness to the lower demographic of my community and enhance participation in the change I am trying to implement. With a variety of different events such as a poetry night for and child with special need to come and share their open mic piece freely, as well as fundraisers where all proceeds will go to children's hospital charity (https://donate.lovetotherescue.org) and changing children's lives (https://www.savethechildren.org/charitablewill) I would also host seminars within my community to make this change a community effort and bring attention to the cause.
Where:
I will host events at my school, townhall, local parks.
When:
During the entirety of my senior year, in my community; coral springs.
Why:
What defines a perfect community? Most would say how a group of people cooperate to create an environment where no matter the background, differences, or race can collide, everyone can express themselves and live harmoniously with each of their needs met. So, what does an imperfect community look like? A community where children with special or rare health conditions are not prioritized, where a child's needs are not fully met.
Renee G. “The Truth My Color Bleeds” (6 March 2023)
Public Resource List
Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. Navigating the U.S. health insurance landscape for children with rare diseases: a qualitative study of parents’ experiences | Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases | Full Text (biomedcentral.com)
The paper "Navigating the U.S. health insurance landscape for children with rare diseases: a qualitative study of parents' experiences" examines the difficulties parents of kids with rare diseases encounter while attempting to use the health insurance system in the country. The study explores the experiences of these parents and provides light on the challenges they face in acquiring access to proper healthcare services and coverage for their children's treatments via qualitative research methodologies. The results shed important light on the difficulties faced by families of patients with uncommon diseases as well as the complexity of the American health insurance system.
​
This website would help me understand the families of children with rare health conditions and how it affects them financially, emotionally, and mentally. It would also help me address and understand how many children, depending on their condition, get enough help and resources from their community and insurance companies.
United States Census Bureau. Uninsured Rate of U.S. Children Fell to 5.0% in 2021 (census.gov)
This website discusses the exact number of children that are insured by health care providers, and how the number of uninsured children in the United States dropped by 5%, it uses statistics and accurate data considering it is the census.
​
This would help me gain an understanding of the exact number of how many children are insured under Medicaid and CHIP (Children s Health Insurance Program), this would help me evaluate exactly how many children are not insured
“Medicaid: Children with Special Health Care Needs: Coverage, Affordability and HBCS.” Children with Special Health Care Needs: Coverage, Affordability, and HCBS Access | KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation)
​This link brief titled "Children with Special Health Care Needs: Coverage, Affordability, and HCBS Access." which was released by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), focuses on how Home and Community-Based Services for Children with Special Health Care Needs are covered, affordable, and accessible in the United States. It demonstrates how important Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are to covering almost half of all children in the United States, especially those with specific medical requirements. The article as well as showing what Medicaid and CHIP provides for children highlights the lack of supplemental services provided with children with rare and special health conditions, especially in families with low incomes. The article compares children's experiences to those of kids only insured by private insurance to analyze the difficulties they confront in accessing and affording. The brief's material provides insights into the current state and action in the U.S healthcare system.
Read Renee's Other Zines
5
How's It Going? What's Been Easy? What's Been Hard?
October 24, 2023
6
One Person CAN Change the World! Final Change Projects Revealed
March 22, 2024