Sean had a disease that limited his ability to play one of his favorite games: football.

As one of PFA's first patients, Sean was able to use a State Medicaid benefit that enabled him to obtain commercial health insurance and keep Medicaid as secondary. He was treated for his disease and is now living a healthy life.

After hearing about his story, a local college football team helped bring Sean's football dream to reality. He was asked to become their V.I.P. during one of their big games!

Sean "geared up" in a full fitted football uniform and dashed through the tunnel to a cheering crowd. He continues to thrive and live the life of a teenager.

Anyone who's seen the process of making beer knows it's an arduous job ‒ lifting kegs all day is hard work. An emerging beer maker working at a mirco-brewery, and a young invincible, he initially declined his employer's health insurance coverage.

With his condition and leave of absence from work, our beer maker was able to become eligible for Medicaid. PFA was able to secure commercial health insurance coverage at no cost to him through the brewery which gave him additional options of providers in Maine and elsewhere.

The beer maker is still continuing treatment and grateful to have both commercial health insurance and Medicaid to cover provider services, pharmacy benefits and specialists.

The rigor of high school can be painful enough, but when student Brianna noticed significant pain in her shoulders, hip, and legs she knew something wasn’t right.

After MRI tests, her health care providers revealed that her spinal cord had a mass, which concluded a diagnosis of Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare cancer in the bones. She had progressed to Stage 4.

More commonly found in other demographics, Brianna faced this rare cancer on top of an additional blood disorder. These metastatic diseases spread to her bones and vertebral column, and she began chemotherapy. As the first pediatric patient go through the procedure, brave Brianna went through the process of a bone marrow harvest at Augusta University Medical Center – Her stem cells were harvested and stored in a blood bank so she would have blood for future use if she needed.

PFA supported the start of Brianna’s medical journey by working with her parent and the parent’s employer to determine eligibility for the Medicaid State PremiumAssistance Program. With her new Blue Cross Blue Shield coverage, Brianna had access to the timely procedures she needed.

As a pioneer patient, Brianna sparked the introduction of the Pediatric Stem Cell Harvesting program. She also helped launch the Pediatric Autologous Stem Cell Transplant program, which offers patients in the river region of the United access to treatment that patients typically traveled out of town to receive.

Today, Briana is responding well to her treatment!