Everybody Loves 'Patch' Angerame

Five year-old Patrick “Patch” Angerame is not unlike other kids his age. He loves sports, playing the Wii and spending time with his family and friends. But unlike a lot of children, he had a rough start. In fact, before he was even born, Patch suffered a stroke.  

When he was just nine months old, his parents Brian and Jennifer Angerame noticed that he wasn’t sitting up like other babies his age, his left hand would often clench and he would only use his right hand. Jennifer didn’t think it was anything serious until a visit to Patch’s pediatrician.  

“The first thing out of her mouth was ‘You need to take him to see a neurologist.’ And I thought to myself, ‘Why would he need to see a neurologist for his hand?’ Jennifer said. “But we made the appointment and just based on a physical examination, the doctor said after a few minutes, ‘I think your son had a stroke.’”  

After further testing to confirm Patch suffered a stroke in utero, the family was left to deal with the fact that their son might never be able to learn how walk. After continuous therapy and treatment, however, not only is Patch walking, but he’s able to participate in sports, play with his older siblings Michael and Katie, and attend school.  

Despite the progress Patch has made since his diagnosis, though, the family’s health insurance company notified them recently that they would no longer cover  Patch’s multiple weekly treatments because he wasn’t progressing at the same pace as the average adult stroke victim.  

“If you read between the lines, the insurance companies were using these hurdles that weren’t appropriate for pediatrics and so they would say, ‘Well by our numbers [and] by the way we analyze this, he’s not making any progress, so we’re cutting you off…’” Brian said. “But at the time, he was making progress by leaps and bounds, so to just stop right there was hard.”  

Jennifer explained that the insurance company’s decision to base Patch’s progression on the same standards as adults was inaccurate and unfair because “when he was born, he was already at a deficit and without anyone even knowing it.”  

She added that at one point, a representative suggested to the couple in writing that if Patch had autism, the company would be able to be of more assistance. “We were like ‘Whoa, our kid suffered a stroke and we know that, so just help us treat him,’” Brian said.  

As the couple continued to fight for coverage for their son, the two dealt with a lot of confusion and frustration. “You get to this point where you’re just like, “Oh my God, I’m just trying to help my son learn how to walk and talk,’” Jennifer said. “It’s not a sports clinic I’m trying to get him into.”  

The Angerames turned to one of Patch’s therapists for help, who put them in contact with Grady Keefe, a constituent liaison for Sen. Richard Blumenthal. With Blumenthal on their side, the insurance companies reinstated Patch’s coverage and the senator introduced resolution to raise awareness for pediatric stroke sufferers that passed unanimously.  

On Wednesday, Blumenthal visited the Angerame home to recognize May as Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month. He got to spend time with Patch and his family and discuss the importance of making families aware of this little-known condition.  

“Families should not be made to pay for a condition just because the insurance companies weren’t aware of it and that’s an important point about raising awareness,” he said on Wednesday. “And the effect was not just to make parents more aware of the condition, but also to hold the insurance companies accountable and answerable.”  

Although Patch, who his parents described as having “a big personality,” has made terrific progress since his diagnosis, Jennifer anticipates that he will need continuous treatment throughout elementary school, particularly for his speech. But despite his limitations, she joked that Patch “has all of his therapists wrapped around his finger” and that he’s the unofficial “mayor of Miller-Driscoll School.”  

“Everybody loves Patch,” Brian said.  

Patch was quite enthusiastic about Blumenthal’s visit to his home. He presented the senator with a star-shaped cookie decorated in red, white and blue and the two shared a series of high-fives. But after a few minutes of small talk, all Patch wanted to do was play on his Wii.  

For more about Patch’s story, check out this video on Sen. Blumenthal’s Web site.