Freda Anderson: finding strength in speaking out
Freda Anderson never imagined she would find herself in the same situation as the patients she supported in her long career as a physician assistant (PA)—unable to afford her healthcare.
“Not in a million years did I ever think that I would experience the same exasperation and confusion and hopelessness of those very same people [I tried to help],” Freda said.
Autoimmune diseases run deep in Freda’s family, affecting one of her three grown daughters, a granddaughter, and her twin brother, who passed away. Freda herself has a connective tissue disorder, which affects tissues throughout the body. Over the years, she has endured many abdominal surgeries and life-threatening complications. The disorder has led to a host of secondary health conditions, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Because of the long-term damage to her lungs, the 67-year-old is prone to respiratory infections. She has developed pneumonia twice and COVID-19 once. Some days, it’s a struggle to breathe.
“It’s really rough on us, I’m not going to lie. Medically, every day, I just wait to see what’s going to happen,” Freda admitted. “I smile and everything for my children, but I worry.”
About four years ago, Freda’s doctor recommended a new inhaler to help treat her chronic respiratory issues. She tried a sample and was amazed at the difference it made. But when she went to fill the full prescription, she was shocked at the price tag: $900 a month out of pocket. That amount was far too much for someone who lives off her retirement and Social Security and is insured by Medicare.
I just cannot describe how it feels when I go and pick up that medicine, knowing I have access to easier breathing for another month.”
Freda feared having to ask family or friends for money, which was “not a good feeling.”
Then, the same doctor recommended she turn to the PAN Foundation for financial assistance. With support from PAN, Freda can now afford her life-changing medication—and breathe a little easier. PAN staff also helped her identify additional resources to find assistance through FundFinder, a free, web-based app developed by PAN that allows people to track disease assistance funds at multiple charitable foundations and get alerted when one opens.
“[The PAN grant] has helped me tremendously. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have it,” Freda said. “I just cannot describe how it feels when I go and pick up that medicine, knowing I have access to easier breathing for another month.”
Now, Freda is using her voice as an advocate. Leveraging her decades of personal and professional experience in healthcare, she joined PAN in Washington, D.C., in September 2024 for the second annual Advocacy Action Summit. She attended meetings with her elected representatives from Florida to share her story—alongside dozens of fellow advocates and on behalf of millions of patients nationwide.
She found herself in awe of the other Summit attendees. “Normally, you don’t feel strong when you have a chronic illness. But they gave me a lot of strength,” shared Freda, who now resides in Abingdon, Maryland, to be closer to family.
In her visits with lawmakers, Freda specifically spoke about the importance of including people with a variety of lived experiences in clinical trials. Her work as a PA included recruiting and screening participants for research studies. “Research should be for everyone,” she explained. “And I’m not just talking about skin color, I mean different types of people, different backgrounds, different socioeconomic status. All those things can affect your outcome in research.”
Now that she has had a taste of advocacy, Freda plans to keep raising her voice. “It has always been my dream and desire to be of service,” she said. “I still feel like I have so much to give.”