Massimo has been living with epilepsy since he was an infant. Shortly after he was diagnosed, his mom, Dignorah Colmenares, realized they couldn’t continue to live in their home country of Panama where resources for neurological services were very hard to find; especially for Massimo, who requires various medical services. Because of this, they moved to Florida in early 2021.
Upon arrival to the United States, Ms. Colmenares and Massimo began their journey to obtain health insurance. Ms. Colmenares learned about a mobile clinic, sponsored by UM Health Systems, and once she had an initial check-up, she was connected with a social worker who told them about Epilepsy Alliance Florida. Even though Ms. Colmenares knew very little about the organization, she understood by its name that it was the right place for them.
During the first months of being Epilepsy Alliance Florida clients, Ms. Colmenares felt hopeful about Massimo’s situation in their new home city. She was relieved to learn about available support for medical services, specifically neurological services, which was a big area of concern since Massimo hadn’t seen a neurologist since they arrived to the country. Additionally, Ms. Colmenares learned about Epilepsy Alliance Florida’s many support groups and other foundations that exist to provide financial assistance for things like seizure-detection devices.
Massimo saw a neurologist just one month after they were enrolled as clients with Epilepsy Alliance Florida. Thanks to that initial visit, he was able to obtain needed medication prescriptions at no cost. Additionally, Ms. Colmenares joined some of the organization’s support groups which helped her learn more about epilepsy and how to better assist Massimo. Ms. Colmenares even started attending some of the organization’s events with Massimo and other family members.
A year and a half after being enrolled as clients with Epilepsy Alliance Florida, Massimo was able to obtain medical insurance. According to Ms. Colmenares, she doesn’t know where they would be right now if it wasn’t for Epilepsy Alliance Florida. Ms. Colmenares and Massimo remain grateful for the new chance they were given.
