Running For PKU

To anyone who sees her running, she's just another jogger getting a workout in. They wouldn't know that she's out there running for everybody else who has faced similar struggles with PKU — the families who don't have insurance, those who can't afford the special food to stay on their diet, and those who struggle to get to doctor's appointments. ​

To anyone who sees her running, she's just another jogger getting a workout in. They wouldn't know that she's out there running for everybody else who has faced similar struggles with PKU — the families who don't have insurance, those who can't afford the special food to stay on their diet, and those who struggle to get to doctor's appointments. 
 
She's running for the non-profit organization PKU Helping Hands, which reached out to her when she had no insurance coverage to make sure she had everything she needed to manage the condition. In May, she is tackling the Long Island Half Marathon, her first race of such distance, and is using it as a springboard to raise money to give back to the Albany-based non-profit. 
 
"They do a lot of great things about educating people about PKU and just helping families who really need it to stay healthy, visit doctors, and afford medical foods in addition to the medication," Rogers said.
 
It isn't just the medication families struggle with, but the strict diet. Rogers says a single bag of protein-free pasta can cost $13 and PKU Helping Hands will provide food and money to help keep struggling families on track with that, too.
 
"That in addition to the medicine, PKU can be really costly to stay on your diet. That's why a lot of people tend to fall off once they get out of their parent's care," Rogers said.
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