Medical-Legal Assistance for Families

The putrid smell was overpowering. It hit Gertrudis Iglesias in the face every time she opened the door to her apartment or turned on the air conditioner. But even worse was the mold that took root in the water leaking down from a broken toilet in the apartment above. The mold aggravated her young son's asthma, sending him repeatedly to the doctor...

RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) has begun a new project in the Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio that is revolutionizing the way that legal services are provided in the healthcare industry. TRLA’s new Medical-Legal Assistance for Families (MLAF) program is helping lawyers and doctors serve patients who are facing related medical and legal issues. Having completed its first year of operation, the medical-legal partnership promises to provide a new and effective way of empowering low-income medical patients with the legal tools necessary to live healthy lives...

Imagine a seven year old who has asthma. She goes to the pediatrician often and takes daily asthma medicine. Even so, she has trouble breathing every day. She misses a lot of school because of her illness. Sometimes, she can't sleep at night because she can't breathe. Her parents have to take her to the emergency room a lot. The family and pediatrician are at a loss. They're doing all the right things, but the little girl isn't getting better...