Owner, Cystic Fibrosis Patients Of Local Non-Profit Pharmacy Fight To Keep Doors Open

A Tulsa non-profit is struggling financially due to the pandemic but is doing everything it can to keep its doors open.

CF Solutions owner Linda Jenson, who has run the non-profit for more than 20 years, said the organization is vital for children with cystic fibrosis. 

"We could provide medications to people who needed them,” Jenson said. “Not just [because] they could pay for them." 

According to Jenson, cystic fibrosis s a genetic disease requiring a great deal of expensive medical treatments. 

Ashley Walls' son, Evan, is one of Jenson's patients and requires $10,000 worth of treatments each month. Despite so much uncertainty, Walls said CF Solutions is a welcome constant. It means everything to her family. 

"(At) a bigger pharmacy, I just felt like a number. They don't really care,” Walls said. “But here, you get personalized attention and they really put effort into helping you." 

Jenson said her patients are very susceptible to respiratory illnesses, so when the pandemic began, she believes CF families were hesitant and elected to not risk contracting the virus while receiving treatment.

"Without that steady income coming in, bam, you're in debt,” Jenson said.  

Jenson said insurance companies take up to six weeks to reimburse the pharmacy for its services putting them in even deeper debt.

Geoff Jenson is the sales representative. He said he grew up watching the business grow into a pillar of the CF community. 

"I've gotten to see how much of a positive change that it's brought to all the lives of the patients that we have,” Geoff Jenson said. 

Jenson said she’ll do anything to keep her non-profit open, even if it means moving from their current location and downsizing. 

"We need to be here for those folks,” Jenson said. “They rely on us because we've taken care of them for a long time." 

Casey Prew, a friend of Linda Jenson, is trying to help by reaching out to local businesses, artists and politicians, but said anyone can donate.  

"We can come together and help these kids,” Prew said. “Just for a couple dollars that it would cost for a cup of coffee. Skip the coffee. We've got enough caffeine.”

If you would like to donate, click here.