A 10 year-old boy who was having trouble staying awake came in to The Children’s Clinic (TCC) Family Health Center at Hamilton Middle School. The child’s teacher had noticed that the boy was chronically falling asleep in class. When his parents took him to the new family health center for an evaluation, his father explained that wherever they went, the boy would fall asleep. Although the father was obviously concerned about his son, he was worried about the cost of the evaluation and potential treatment because he lacked insurance.

            The child was very obese and was having severe problems breathing through his nose. Having only a small passageway for air and weak throat tissue, the buy’s air supply would cut off during his sleep. Due to this severe cardiac disease, without treatment, the boy was at high risk for damage to his lungs and, eventually his heart. Since there was a chance that the boy could accidentally stop breathing in his sleep, the situation was potentially life-threatening.

            Arrangements were immediately made for the child to be admitted to the intensive care unit where he underwent a full specialist evaluation. Within a few days, he was taken to the operating room to open his airway and lessen the seriousness of his condition. The father, though worried about his inability to pay, was assured that help was available and that his son’s follow-up care could be handled at TCC’s family health center regardless of the family’s financial capabilities. His gratitude for the help his son was receiving was deeply felt and it moved the Clinic staff.

            After being discharged from the hospital, the child returned to the family health center with his mother and father for a follow-up visit. The change was remarkable. A child who hardly smiled and was breathing loudly at the first visit was now happy and very much awake. He said that he was sleeping well, likely for the first time in years. The boy’s father said that his son was a different person, no longer falling asleep throughout the day, and no longer causing concern at school amongst his teachers.