Caps, Gowns, and Gratitude

Jason is a patient of Norma Perez, M.D., at our AltaMed Medical Group – Huntington Park, Rugby clinic. In many ways, Jason is like most 14 year old kids; he loves his family, works hard in school, and is looking forward to graduating from eighth grade this year. In other ways, though, the middle schooler is facing issues that most teenagers in this country cannot imagine.

Jason’s mother has faced ongoing health issues that have impacted her ability to work. Without paid sick leave, their family’s income has declined significantly, leading to food insecurity — not having sufficient access to nutritious meals. More than 37 million people in
the U.S. face this reality.

Worried about his family’s food supply, Jason started eating smaller portions at meal times to ensure there was enough food to go around. Hearing this, Dr. Perez was concerned; nobody should go hungry, but especially not a growing teenager. At Jason’s age, getting enough nutrients is crucial to his physical and brain development. Dr. Perez nominated his family to receive a micro-grant from the Community Care Fund.

Thanks to the generosity of our employee donors, we were able to provide Jason’s family with $300 to help cover the cost of groceries. This support also allowed Jason to participate in school events celebrating his middle school graduation. A member of the AltaMed Gives committee was so moved by Jason’s story that she contributed, allowing us to surprise him with some small gifts to make his graduation even more special.

Congratulations to Jason and his graduating class!