UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation’s (UHCCF) Inaugural Tour de Triangle Century Ride raised more than $62,000 to help fund medical grants for children across the Southeast region – surpassing the organization’s initial fundraising goal of $50,000.

The event, presented by SAS Health and Life Sciences, supports UHCCF’s mission to award 20,000 medical grants to children and families by 2020. Cyclists from across North Carolina teamed up to help ease the financial burden of medical expenses on families, while making a lasting impact in the lives of children with serious medical conditions such as cancer, spina bifida and muscular dystrophy.

One such local family, which has benefited from the grants, is Brian and Sarah and their sons Del and Max. Max, 4, was born at 37 weeks with two holes in his heart, a defect in one of his heart’s valves and a very rare form of Down syndrome called Robertsonian translocation. Brian and Sarah knew as early as 17 weeks into the pregnancy that their son-to-be had medical challenges and that by his birth he would need open-heart surgery. Max’s critical open-heart surgery was estimated at $175,000, and even with insurance, the family has accumulated more than $10,000 in medical bills. Max regularly sees a cardiologist, endocrinologist and an otolaryngologist; he’s gone through physical, occupational, speech and feeding therapies; he’s seen geneticists, podiatrists and pediatricians; and he has had various hospital stays due to infections.

“Knowing your young child has to have open heart surgery is scary, but receiving the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation medical grant helped ease the financial stress,” Sarah said. “We were so appreciative to find an organization that could help a young, middle-class family who truly needed assistance in raising our special son, Max.”

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, about three in 10 adults (29 percent) report a household member has had problems paying medical bills in the past year. That reality is the driving force behind UHCCF’s mission to help families in need access medical care that will improve their child’s health.

“We are inspired every day by the generosity of North Carolinians and are grateful for the opportunity to partner with SAS Health and Life Sciences for this inaugural Tour de Triangle,” said Garland Scott, CEO of The Carolinas and Georgia, UnitedHealthcare. “Together with the community, we have the power to make a meaningful difference in the lives of families in North Carolina and across the Southeast.”

UHCCF grants help children gain access to health-related services not covered, or not fully covered, by their parents’ commercial health insurance plan. Since 2007, UHCCF has awarded over 13,000 grants valued at more than $35 million to children and their families across the United States for treatments associated with medical conditions such as cancer, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, hearing loss, autism, cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome, ADHD and cerebral palsy.

Qualifying families can receive grants up to $5,000 annually per child ($10,000 lifetime maximum per child), to help pay for medical services and equipment such as physical, occupational and speech therapy, counseling services, surgeries, prescriptions, wheelchairs, orthotics, eyeglasses and hearing aids. Parents or legal guardians may apply online at www.uhccf.org.