By: Kari Radjewski, director of Marketing & Communications
Seven-year-old Isaiah had been to the emergency room three times in two months. Each visit followed the same terrifying pattern: wheezing, tight chest, a frantic trip to the emergency room, and no clear answers for how to stop it from happening again. His mother, working two jobs, felt helpless. The inhaler from the ER would help for a while, but it was the environmental factors in his home that were triggering his asthma in the first place.
The MATCH program–Managing Asthma Through Case Management in the Home–is helping Isaiah and other families in Detroit to breathe easier.
Meeting families where they are
In January 2025, the Children’s Foundation awarded an $80,000 grant to Southeast Michigan Health Association’s Kids Health Connection (KHC) to expand MATCH, an evidence-based program aligned with our physical health focus area. MATCH brings asthma educators and community health workers into the homes of Children’s Hospital of Michigan patients to help families identify and reduce asthma triggers, teach medication use and asthma management, and help prevent hospital readmissions.
Asthma in Detroit
According to a 2021 report from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, 14.6% of Detroit children have asthma, compared to just 8.4% statewide. Many are discharged from the hospital with no structured follow-up, only to return days or weeks later. Their homes often contain conditions that trigger asthma flare-ups: mold, pests, poor air flow, or proximity to traffic-heavy areas.
It’s difficult for any child to live a healthy life when they’re growing up in an unhealthy environment.
MATCH addresses these realities head-on. Over six months, asthma educators provide in-home and virtual education, assess environmental risks, and connect families to grant-funded home repair programs. They also provide critical tools—HEPA vacuums, air purifiers, and cleaning supplies—that many families couldn’t afford on their own.
Philanthropy breaks barriers and builds long-term health
Today, only three Medicaid plans cover MATCH services, leaving many families without access. This grant helps close that gap, ensuring uninsured children receive the care they need.
“Too often, kids are discharged from the hospital and end up right back there because they don’t receive the tools to stay well,” said Dr. Lauren Carroll, Medical Director at KHC. “This grant is helping us reach those families who don’t have the insurance to cover these critical services.”
This grant is eliminating those barriers, creating real impact:
• Fewer emergency room visits
• Better asthma control
• Lower health care costs
• Improved quality of life for children and caregivers
A healthier, stronger future for Michigan’s kids
KHC expects to serve more than 35 uninsured families in the next year, reducing asthma-related school absences, hospital readmissions, and missed workdays for caregivers. In the end, that means more families with kids like Isaiah can exhale a sigh of relief.
Together, we are creating stronger families, healthier children, and a future where every child in Michigan has the opportunity to thrive.
