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The most important thing we can do to be able to afford HBO is to get the therapy covered by insurance & Medicaid !!!

Most research money comes from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) This is our tax money. We all need to call, write letters and send emails requesting research dollars for HBO Therapy for brain damage to:

What can I do if I cannot afford the Hyperbaric Oxygen treatments ?
Many parents desperately want to get HBO for their child, but cannot afford the cost. This can also be true for surgeries or other medical treatments. The following are some ideas to cut costs or to find funding.

RAISE MONEY OR GET DONATIONS
One mother donated money to a hospital and did a fund-raiser to raise money for HBO research. Another had a spaghetti dinner and raised $12,000 for her son's treatments. Some are getting churches to sponsor the first 40 treatments to see if it works. Others asked family members to donate to a trust set up for the child. Local television stations and newspapers have helped by featuring the stories.

OPEN A MEDICAL TRUST FUND
To raise money without causing your child to lose SSI and to protect the money from taxes, you can open a medical trust at a bank. Make sure the name of the trust contains the reason for the trust, such as: "John Smith's Hyperbaric Trust " or Stacy Thompson's Medical Trust".

LODGING COSTS
Some parents are going to sites near where their relatives or friends live to save money on their lodging cost. One innovative mother placed an ad in the local newspaper in the town where she wanted to take her child. She did a search on the internet to find the phone numbers. The ad said she was looking for a family interested in a house exchange in which the family could live in her house while she stayed in theirs or an apartment to rent for a month. This is much less expensive and more convenient than staying in a hotel. You can also travel with other parents and share a suite to cut room costs in half.

GET FREE AIRLINE FLIGHTS
Airlines have been helping families going for Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments:

Miracle Flights for Kids
800-FLY-1711, 2756 N. Green Valley Parkway Suite #115 Green Valley, Nevada 89014-2100 Volunteer pilots flying children to hospitals across the country for specialized medical care. NO limit to flight requests and NO CHARGE for services!!

National Patient Air Transport Hotline
800-296-1217 This service will help people find free or reduced rates for air travel for medical purposes. NPATH refers families to the service that best fits their needs and situation using updated directories and information on all known patient long-distance air transport options.

MUMS Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Packet of Information
For our new and improved HBO packet of over 310 pages of information on Hyperbaric Oxygenation Therapy from all over the world (research, studies, stories, articles, etc.) Please send $25 if in U.S. ($35 for other countries) to: MUMS, 150 Custer Ct., Green Bay, WI 54301-1243 (Mastercard & Visa numbers accepted. Numbers can be safely left on MUMS answering machine.)

MUMS: National Parent to Parent Network
Julie J. Gordon
150 Custer Court
Green Bay, Wisconsin 54301-1243
1-877-336-5333 (Parents only please)
920-336-5333
1-920-339-0995 (fax)
E-mail: mums@netnet.net
Web: http://www.netnet.net/mums/

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Last updated May 20, 2003 mums@netnet.net