‘Beaver’ makes health stop in Cedar Rapids

Posted on Oct 13, 2009 by admin.

Former "Leave It to Beaver" star Jerry Mathers signs autographs for grandchildren of Christina Blair of Cedar Rapids in front of the Partnership for Prescription Assistance tour bus at Linn Community Care in southeast Cedar Rapids Tuesday. The bus makes stops around the country to raise awareness of patient assistance programs, and helps people find out if they are eligible for assistance. Mathers, who was born in Iowa and has diabetes, is traveling with the bus to help raise awareness for diabetes. Mathers will be in Iowa City from 9-11 a.m. Wednesday at the Johnson County Health & Human Services Building at 855 South Dubuque St. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Eastern Iowans hit hard by the recession have an unlikely ally in their fight against the high costs of health insurance and medicine: The Beave.

Jerry Mathers, 61, whose role from 1957 to 1963 as Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver made him an American icon in the hit television show “Leave it to Beaver,” is using his fame to help uninsured and financially strapped Americans find ways to get prescription drug treatment for free or at greatly reduced cost.

Mathers said he feels for Americans, especially those with chronic illnesses, who cannot pay for their medicine. He was diagnosed with diabetes 11 years ago. He said his illness was a wake-up call not only to take better care of himself, but also to make sure others can find ways to take care of themselves.

“In this country, good fences make good neighbors,” Mathers said. “But when people are sick, when they need help, you need to do what you can.”

Mathers has spent the last two years working with the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, a program put together by 200 pharmaceutical companies that stopped by Linn Community Care, 1201 Third Ave. SE, on Tuesday.

Since 2005, the PPA has toured the country to highlight the 400 programs and grants offered by the government and pharmaceutical companies that get medicine to people in need. People making low wages or those who do not have health insurance can get help from professionals to find the best options to get the medicine they need.

The PPA, with help from celebrities such as Mathers, has helped six million Americans, and more than 50,000 Iowans, find medicine.

Since the onset of the recession, Mathers, born in Sioux City, has seen a greater demand for resources the PPA’s effort offers.

“When people lose their jobs, or lose their coverage, it gets harder to take care of themselves — especially when they have a chronic illness” such as diabetes, Mathers said. “You get more stressed, more depressed … sicker. It doesn’t have to be that way.”

Mathers and the PPA bus will be in Iowa City this morning and in Burlington in the afternoon.