Established in 1987, the Pediatric & Adolescent HIV/AIDS Program at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago cares for more children and adolescents than any other pediatric HIV service provider in the region. The program provides a comprehensive approach to caring for HIV-impacted families and has a multidisciplinary team including doctors specializing in HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, as well as a child life specialist, nutritionist, speech therapist, physical/occupational therapist, developmental specialist, and a special phlebotomist.
Junior Council was founded shortly after the establishment of the Pediatric & Adolescent HIV/AIDS Program. Our mission is to help provide financial support to the program so as to ensure that children with HIV/AIDS, regardless of their ability to pay, have access to high-quality pediatric healthcare.
Junior Council’s mission is to ensure all children with HIV/AIDS, regardless of their ability to pay, have access to high-quality pediatric care.
Junior Council is a group of young professionals living in and around the Chicago area. Our membership ranges from a variety of backgrounds, pooling our resources and talents to support our joint interest in helping to raise awareness and funds to support our cause.
To date, Junior Council has donated over $2.7M to the Pediatric & Adolescent HIV/AIDS Program, covering various expenses such as:
- Laboratory tests and medications for uninsured patients
- Support program staff, including a child life specialist and social worker
- A van and driver that transports patients and families to appointments as needed
- Emergency funding
Where the Money Goes
| $40,000 | The Junior Council Scholarship Fund, which helps support past and present patients in their education. |
| $20,000 | The purchase of vehicles (lasting 20 years) to help transport patients to necessary check-ups. |
| $10,058 | 30 days of HIV medication for a single patient during financial hardship. |
| $2,347 | One week of standard HIV medication for a single patient. |
| $500 | Genotype testing used to identify effective medications for newly diagnosed patients. |
Scholarship Fund
In 2014, Junior Council established a scholarship fund, which recently grew to $40,000, awarded annually to one or more patients of the Pediatric & Adolescent HIV/AIDS Program. This scholarship aims to support patients in pursuing education after high school, in any form. Recipients may utilize the funds for various educational expenses, including tuition, technology (computers and software), readers, books and classroom materials, housing, and transportation.