John, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Copay Assistance Program

John’s sense of adventure has taken him many places in his life. After spending two years in the U.S. Army, he moved to Brazil with his girlfriend, Susan, where she’d taken a job as a science teacher. A few years later, they were married. Though they enjoyed the tropics, John said he was thrilled when he learned a close friend of Susan’s had moved to a similar climate: Florida.

“There's a certain amount of serendipity that runs through most people's lives,” John said. “I think that was ours.”

Since 1984, John and Susan have called Central Florida home. A quintessential outdoorsman, John has kept a blog for 12 years showcasing his reflections and photographs from his time on the trails enjoying nature.

“I live about 18 miles from a stand of cypress trees. I want to go find them,” he said. “The Florida Trail goes through my neighborhood, and I hike it all the time.”

After initially visiting his doctor for a persistent cough with no known cause, John received an MRI that showed his lungs were damaged. His pulmonologist immediately knew it was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The chronic condition can cause permanent lung scarring, making it difficult to breathe. Doctors immediately started him on a course of treatment.

“My condition was getting worse,” John said.

For a few months, John was able to access his treatment through a free clinical trial. Once that ended, John was on his own to afford the high cost of treatment.

“The treatment has probably slowed my disease down quite a bit,” he said.

To help afford the treatment, his pulmonologist referred him to The Assistance Fund’s (TAF’s) Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Copay Assistance Program. The program provides financial assistance for out-of-pocket costs for all FDA-approved treatment for the disease named in the program, such as copays, deductibles, and coinsurance.

“TAF picks up that $500 every month,” John said. “It’s a lot of money for people like me.”

Over the past two years, John and his wife have traveled the country, spending months on the road. In their converted van, they’ve spanned the country using back roads from Florida to California.

“We drove 8,000 miles to get home,” he said. “I wrote, photographed, and blogged that entire trip.”

The trip also gave John a chance to be outdoors and do what he loves: fishing, hiking, and capturing it in his blog.

“I just continue the blog as a public service,” John said. “I’ve sent it to 1,100 people, some of whom I’ve never met before!”

John said he’s never looked at the blog as a money generator. Instead, it’s his way of sharing his passions with the world.

“If you measure wealth only by money, I'm a failure,” he said. “But if you measure wealth by having pages appear when you Google my name, I’m a huge success!”

Follow John’s blog at: https://www.spottedtail.com/blog/