We Care for Illinois Kids

Her teenage twins are covered by All Kids for their health care.

Last April, Cherrie’s daughter Anicya began having severe headaches. After an emergency room visit, several days of hospitalization, ongoing visits to her primary care physician at La Rabida Hospital, medication and therapy, Anicya continued to have headaches and symptoms throughout the year. In early January 2008, Anicya’s eye doctor determined that her optic nerve was elevated, indicating that she may have a condition called Pseudotumor Cerebri. That means that the pressure in Anicya’s skull was increasing, mimicking the symptoms of a brain tumor, but no tumor is present. The increased pressure on the optic nerve can lead to vision loss and surgery may be needed. Anicya’s eye doctor advised that Cherrie take her to a pediatric neurologist right away.

Cherrie immediately began trying to get an appointment with a pediatric neurologist through two different hospitals. Even with the eye doctor’s assistance in trying to get an appointment with a specialist, Cherrie was told that appointments were not available for several months. In late January, Anicya became very ill with severe headaches and ended up in the emergency room again. Within the next few days, she had to have a spinal tap to reduce pressure on her brain. A few weeks later, Anicya was finally able to get an appointment with a pediatric neurologist for mid-February, six weeks after her eye doctor first raised the possibility that Anicya had Pseudotumor Cerebri – a diagnosis that has been confirmed by a pediatric neurologist.

“Anicya is doing better, but has a long road ahead of her. We are hoping that she will not need brain surgery,” says Cherrie Stepney. “It is unbelievable to me that my child, and other children with neurological problems, would need to wait so long to see a specialist. We are thankful for our All Kids coverage, but it doesn’t help to have a medical card if specialists aren’t participating due to poor funding.”