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>> I'M GOING TO SALISBURY UNIVERSITY IN MARYLAND.
SO, THREE HOURS AWAY FROM HOME.
I THINK MOVING TO COLLEGE IS A BIG PART OF TRANSITIONING
BECAUSE I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING ON MY OWN NOW.
>> WHEN WE WENT DOWN FOR PREREGISTRATION,
WE DECIDED WE WOULD SPEND THE AFTERNOON LOOKING AROUND
AND FINDING OUT ABOUT SOME OF THE MEDICAL FACILITIES.
WE FIGURED WE MIGHT AS WELL.
WE'RE DOWN HERE ANYWAY, WE MIGHT AS WELL LOOK AROUND.
AND SO WE WENT AND TALKED TO THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE
TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE PHARMACY, ABOUT THE LOCAL FACILITIES.
>> THEY HAVE A GOOD MEDICAL CENTER THERE,
SO I'D BE TAKEN CARE OF IF I EVER GOT SICK.
>> WE JUST WANTED TO BE PREPARED SO THAT —
BECAUSE WE KNOW SHE'S GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE
CARE OF THESE THINGS WHEN SHE'S DOWN THERE.
>> I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF MY MEDICINES AND MY OSTOMY
AND ORDERING EVERYTHING.
>> YEAH, WE DEFINITELY HAD SOME CONTACT WITH THE SCHOOL
NURSE, AND I THINK WE LET HER KNOW,
ESPECIALLY THE FIRST TIME I WENT TO COLLEGE,
THAT I HAD CROHN'S AND I HAD TO TAKE MY MEDICINE.
>> THEY NEED TO GET THEIR RECORDS INTO THE HEALTHCARE
AT THE COLLEGE ITSELF, NOT NECESSARILY A PHYSICIAN,
BUT THE HEALTH OFFICE THAT'S THERE.
>> IF I HAD TO BE RUSHED INTO EMERGENCY AND SOMEBODY
KNOWS THAT I HAVE A FILE, THE NURSE HAS IT,
"THIS IS WHAT HE HAS, THIS IS HOW MANY MEDS HE'S
TAKING, THIS IS WHAT — SOMETHING MIGHT BE WRONG."
SO WE DID LET THEM KNOW.
>> YOU CAN BE SIX HOURS BY A PLANE AWAY AND STILL HAVE
GOOD HEALTHCARE, SO THAT — YOU SHOULD PICK YOUR COLLEGE
BASED ON YOUR AREAS OF INTEREST AND WHAT IS THE BEST FIT
FOR YOU.
>> WHEN I INITIALLY WENT TO COLLEGE, I HAD SUE PECK
AND DR. PICCOLI WRITE UP A LETTER,
AND THEY KIND OF SAID THESE ARE MY NEEDS,
ESPECIALLY IN THE DORM SITUATION.
>> AND WE WORK WITH THE SCHOOLS AND WITH THE FAMILIES
TO DO ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING WE CAN TO GET
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS AND SPECIAL UNDERSTANDINGS
SO THAT OUR PATIENTS WHO FACE A CHRONIC ILLNESS CAN ACTUALLY
SUCCEED IN COLLEGE AND MOVE FORWARD SUCCESSFULLY.
THAT'S REALLY VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
>> FROM MY FIRST CLASS, I ASKED DR. MAMULA
FOR A LETTER SAYING ABOUT MY CONDITION.
>> WE PROVIDE LETTERS BOTH FOR THEIR ACCOMMODATIONS
AS WELL AS FOR THE TEACHERS AT SCHOOL TO UNDERSTAND
THAT THEY MAY HAVE SYMPTOMS, THAT THEY MAY MISS CLASSES,
THEY MAY MISS SOME SCHOOLWORK BECAUSE
OF THEIR CONDITION, BECAUSE OF THEIR DISEASE.
>> IF I HAVE TO LEAVE OR IF I HAVE AN EMERGENCY THAT HAS
TO DO WITH MY CONDITION, THAT I HAVE PROOF IN THE LETTER
THAT THERE'S A REASON FOR ME TO BE DISMISSED.
>> I WAS PRETTY HEALTHY GOING INTO COLLEGE,
BUT THEN MY SECOND YEAR, WHEN I STARTED MY SOPHOMORE
YEAR, THE FIRST SEMESTER I STARTED GETTING PRETTY SICK,
AND I ACTUALLY HAD TO TAKE SOME TIME OFF.
>> KIND OF DISAPPOINTING TO BOTH HER AND HER PARENTS,
TO SAY THE LEAST, AND WE HAD TO WORK THROUGH
THAT WITH THE SCHOOL.
>> MY COLLEGE WAS WONDERFUL WITH ME AND WILLING TO WORK
WITH ME, BECAUSE IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE FINALS,
AND I DIDN'T GET TO TAKE FINALS BECAUSE I WAS SO SICK.
SO THEY WERE WILLING TO WORK WITH ME IN SAYING,
"WHENEVER YOU FEEL BETTER, AFTER YOU HAVE YOUR SURGERY,
WE WILL GIVE YOU YOUR FINALS IF YOU STILL WANT TO TAKE THEM,
AND WE'LL MOVE ON FROM THERE."
>> THEY WERE QUITE ACCOMMODATING IN REGARDS
TO CREDITING HER FOR ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF HER TUITION.
>> AND THEY DEFINITELY WORKED WITH ME AND GAVE ME
WHAT I NEEDED AND WEREN'T DISCRIMINATORY.
THEY CAN'T BE WITH THE 504S.
>> SO 504 PLAN, IN MY MIND, FROM A SCHOOL'S STANDPOINT,
IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT ALLOWS THE CHILDREN
TO CONTINUE TO GO TO SCHOOL AND CONTINUE TO GET THE SERVICES
THAT THEY SHOULD WITHOUT THE SCHOOL SAYING,
"OH, WELL, THE KID HASN'T BEEN TO SCHOOL FOR 10 DAYS
AND, THEREFORE, HAS TO START ALL OVER AGAIN."
>> I USED THE 504 PLAN FOR HIGH SCHOOL,
AND IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL, SO I DIDN'T ACTUALLY KNOW
THEY HAD IT FOR COLLEGE, BUT I'M GOING TO LOOK INTO IT NOW.