Questions supplied by PAGER

1) Tell us about your product (what is it, what is it used for, age group, weight, other uses-respiratory issues, etc)?

The ComfyLiftBed™ is a specially designed bed that is able to raise or lift up a child that is in need of elevation at nighttime due to a number of sleep-breathing disorders. The most common use of the ComfyLiftBed™ is for acid reflux disease/GERD. Other pulmonary disorders such as lung diseases, sleep apnea (OSA), sinusitis and snoring are among the uses of our ComfyLiftBed™. The implementing of the “Nature’s law of gravity” to keep the stomach acid down or other symptoms, is the most natural and practical way of dealing with these difficult medical conditions. The child bed has specific features that not only elevate the child for better breathing but it does this in a manner that the child feels safe and secure. The side barriers are made to position the child in a side sleeping position, without strapping or restricting the child, which is preferred by most pulmonary physicians and GI pediatricians. The opposing foot wedges on the child bed are the key to keeping a child in this inclined position. The foot wedges permit the child to “push-off” or sustain the elevated position on the child bed. The falling down to the bottom of a standard wedge or a “pushed –up” crib mattress, is the most common complaint I hear from a frustrated mother.

We have found that infants weighting approximately 15 pounds on up can begin to use this child bed in a crib (preferably with a Crib Tent™), placed on the floor or in a toddler bed frame. As the child grows older the ComfyLiftBed™ is uniquely designed to grow with the child, by simply remove some of the additional foot wedges and permitting the legs of the child to stretch out further. We approximate that the ComfyLiftBed™ will help children up to 5- 6 years of age.

2. Why did you develop this product?

I had never thought I would invent something to help children. I have invented adult pillows for acid reflux and sleep apnea with great success. I have had numerous phone calls in last 6 years from mommies asking for help for their sick children I would only suggest that maybe a standard wedge under the crib mattress would help or they could use other hammock or strap down products if their child was still very small. Then came that special little girl named Julia. She moved me to try to do something for her and other toddlers that were suffering, with nothing available for them to use for their debilitating condition. Her mommy Jennifer poured out heart to me describing the difficult lung and reflux disease Julia had and how much she loved her precious child. Well, I had to try at the very least, so I told her I would call her back with what I could come up with. I then went in to prayer to God to help me develop something for Julia. God came through, and in a big way, in just one hour I had what is now helping many children where there was no help for nighttime breathing symptoms requiring an incline sleeping position!

3. Do you produce or market any other products for children with acid reflux?

I have no other products at this time other than the ComfyLiftBed™. We are planning on enlarging the bed for adolescence and disabled adults in the near future.

4. How long has your company been in existence?

Our Company was founded in November of 1999. It was named Comfort Lift Pillow Co. till recently and now we are known as The Positional Therapy Pillow Co. It was founded because I personally was in need of a supportive effective wedge (pillow) to handle my acid reflux and pre-cancerous Barrett’s Esophagus condition.

5. Tell us any other info you want to share-stories from parents, use of materials, future products you are thinking about?

I have been asked to make available a larger version of the child reflux bed for the adolescent child market and also for the mentally challenged disabled adult. I will seek to add these two new sizes in the next 12 to 18 months.

It is always moving to hear a success story from a family that had been suffering along with a child that has reflux (failure to thrive) or sleep deprivation due to a sleep breathing disorder. We have heard from many and some have written their story. Julia, of course was a inspiring testimony that came back to us, from the beginning, that encouraged us to file a patent to the U.S. Patent Office months later. Since then we have heard that Julia has progress so well against acid reflux that she has been off the medication for last 12 months. Then other written testimonies arrived that kept us going. One notable testimony that came to us last June was from Melanie and her 14 month old Adam. Here is an excerpt of her testimony:

I wish I could come hug all of you! We purchased your pillow within the past month and you've saved our lives. My son Adam is 14 months old and suffers from: Failure to thrive, Severe Gastroesophageal reflux, and Severe Gastroparesis (means that there was damage to his vagus nerve somehow and his stomach doesn't empty due to the stomach muscle not contracting to push food or fluids through-for 6 ounces of formula it would take maybe 10-11 hours). Our nightmare started around March 12 and continues medically-getting better slowly. He had an Nasogastric tube in from March 12 to June 7. We had propped the mattress up in his crib to give him that elevation-well what a joke, he would sleep downhill, tangle himself up in all of the tubes going from his feeding pump to his nose, every time he moved (every 6 minutes or so) the pump would alarm, lots of nights he would wake up vomiting the tube out of his mouth, and the list could go on. Needless to say we never slept-I don't know how I functioned, especially because daytime was horrific also between vomiting and crying. He absolutely amazed us! From night 1 he puts himself to bed. Unbelievable!! He sleeps ALL night, in an "uphill" position, and then during the day when he's had enough with playing, he simply crawls in his room and climbs right in and is asleep in 2 minutes.
I honestly hadn't slept more than 2-3 hours a night since March until your miraculous bed came. That's 2 1/2 months-now I (and my four year old0can get 7-8 hours of completely uninterrupted sleep. As for Adam he sleeps usually 10 hours and the pump never alarms because he's so comfortable and not having the GERD pain because of the design of the bed. Oh I could run through the streets screaming with joy...….I really can't thank you enough for this blessing of a bed. Please know I'll be bragging forever!!
Sincerely,
Melanie LaVoie (and Adam of course)
From Taunton Massachusetts

Another..

Mr. Rubio -

I just wanted to let you know that we received the pillow bed on Friday afternoon and we already LOVE IT! Cameron has been sleeping in a small "Bouncy Seat" style rocking chair for several months now. He could not sleep in a regular crib with the head raised because (as we all know) babies end up at the foot of the bed because the slide downhill this making raising the head of his crib totally useless as a treatment for his GERD. He has slept so peacefully the past couple of nights and does not have any of the upper airway noise while sleeping that he usually has. I can already tell that this bed was a true gift from God and will be invaluable to us.

I also want to thank you so much for keeping the sale price for us; I realize that you did not have to do this. We are still hopeful that we can get it funded through our Disabilities and Special Needs Board (it was finally funded a few weeks later), but if not, a restful night's sleep for our precious little boy is well worth cutting back on something else to be able to pay for this bed. This was money well spent.

Susan Abell

6. How can parents contact your company: Name of company, address, phone, fax, email, website?

The Positional Therapy Pillow Co. 3691 Inca St. Robstown, TX 78380
phone 1-877-449-1888 (toll free) fax # 361-767-1888, office # 361-767-1888
email address: refluxpillow@yahoo.com
web page: http://www.acidrefluxpillow.com/PTPDesign/toddler.html or
or main web site: www.acidrefluxpillow.com

Horacio C. Rubio: President/Inventor
Mary Alice Rubio: Vice President
Benjamin Hill: Office Manager/accountant

7. What else do you want PAGER members to know?

Not much has been done to clinically research the area of “positional therapy”. Some articles have been published that have stated that as much as 50% of the mild to moderate of OSA cases (Obstructive Sleep Apnea which includes acid reflux) can reduce their total number of respiratory disturbances at night, by merely sleeping on their sides. If this is so, it would be beneficially advantageous for the medical community to explore using first the “positional therapy” method, instead of using invasive methods such as drugs and surgery. It would be a more desirable method for parents to implement in their child’s daily medical therapy before more severe methods are used.

We are asking for someone that is qualified in the medical or research field to take-on this challenge, to prove clinically the efficacy of the ComfyLiftBed™ (patent pending) and the benefits of “positional therapy” for children. Perimeters can be established when a clinical study is made on our ComfyLiftBed™ as to how, and who this kind of therapy will benefit most. If you are qualified and interested in the next level of patient care, please contact me Mr. Horacio Rubio at 1-877-449-1888 toll free or write me at refluxpillow@yahoo.com

We would like to mention that families can submit to their Health Insurance companies for reimbursement and or if their child qualifies, they can submit a request for coverage under the Child Disabilities Act of 2004. We recently supplied two child beds to the Child Disability Act of 2004 in the Early Childhood Intervention programs in Florida and South Carolina. We also supplied a bed to the Tri-Care Health Care program for active military and their families. We are presently awaiting notification of coverage in the Texas Medicaid program for our child bed. [I came through in March 06] Other states could also include the ComfyLiftBed™ in their Medicaid program if the doctors submit a “Letter of Necessity” along with the child medical records to back up the special needs. Our company can supply the description, coding and retail pricing for any medical supply companies and or the customers can call us directly for this description and information in order to file.

Jan,
Thank you for this tremendous opportunity to share with your subscribers. Our family at The Positional Therapy Pillow Co. thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Sincerely,

Horacio C. Rubio
President/ Inventor