Nine-year-old Michelle’s father moved from their home country of Venezuela two years ago for a better, safer life. She and her mother followed shortly after. Even though Michelle’s mother was a Dentist in Venezuela, she is unable to get licensed in the US and works as a housekeeper.
Having a medical background, Michelle’s mother knew they needed to get care for Michelle. However, she does not qualify for KidCare. She enrolled as a patient at Grace in July 2019. After her first appointment, she was referred to the Psychiatric APRN for ADHD and Oppositional Defiance Disorder. Michelle saw the Psychiatric APRN once a month to manage her medication but has since been able to reduce her visits to once every two months.
Michelle is also enrolled in the Food is Medicine for Healthier Kids program. In this program, she receives a healthy food box twice a month from provided by Second Harvest Food Bank. She and her parents also have monthly or bimonthly visits with the staff Nutritionist to teach them healthy cooking methods and to create food plans. Michelle has already lost nine pounds.
She loves creating food plans and incorporating healthy food into her diet. Although her parents are not patients, they attend every appointment and are advocates for making lifestyle changes that benefit the whole family.
