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CELEBRATING THE HEROES WHO MAKE THE MISSION POSSIBLE
Donna Shinn BOTTOM: Patty Nelson
For 13 years, Gift of Life Howie’s House has been a welcoming safe haven for organ transplant patients, caregivers and their families. It is a place where loved ones can relax and share a meal after enduring a long day at the hospital. A place to connect with others who share similar experiences. A place of comfort during a tumultuous journey.
The mission of the House would not be possible without the heroes who remain dedicated to its important work. From generous contributors to compassionate volunteers, the services provided at the House rely on their ongoing support.
To show gratitude for the vital role they play in the mission, a special breakfast, themed “Heroes Among Us”, was hosted to celebrate the heroic impact supporters have on the transplant families. The community came together and unveiled their capes for a morning of stories shared, memories made, and connections built.
Rick Hasz, President & CEO, along with Jan L. Weinstock, Chief Administrative Officer & General Counsel, expressed their thoughts on the incredible strength of the Gift of Life Howie’s House community. They also provided insights into some exciting House updates, milestones, and happenings.
As Rick Hasz said, “Whether you are a contributor, a volunteer, a partner, or a friend of the House, your involvement holds immense value for us and the families we serve. The impact you’ve made is a shining light for those on the transplant journey, and I am so grateful to celebrate you.”
Past guest, Rogina, shared her story and her experiences at the House. Rogina’s daughter, Kemiyah, is 16 years old and has been in the hospital since November of 2023 while she waits for a life-saving heart transplant. Rogina, and her youngest son, Kane, have been staying at the House to remain close to Kemiyah during her wait.
“Staying at Gift of Life Howie’s House has been a true blessing. Kane, my 19-month-old son and I have been here since March. We have met so many other families in similar situations and heard so many stories. Everyone here are warriors. I don’t know what we would do if we didn’t have a place like this,” Rogina says.
It is because of our community that families like Rogina’s have a comfortable place to stay, warm meals at night and a supportive network of people who know what they are going through.
The House is grateful to have provided over $13 million in subsidized care and services over its 13-year history, never turning a family away who cannot afford the nightly fee. Whether you are a Home Cook Hero cooking meals for the guests, a generous contributor, an active participant in events or another one of the amazing community members – the success of the mission is owed to you.
At Gift of Life Howie’s House, guests are provided with a private bedroom and bathroom that comes equipped with many of the necessities that families rely on when away from home. Many of those guests, however, experience limited mobility due to significant physical challenges that come with transplant and request rooms that are more accessible
Approximately 25% of guests make these requests. Unfortunately, many have to wait for a more accessible room to become available.
“You never know when you go somewhere if it’s going to be accessible, so knowing that we had this room where he could maneuver was a relief. It allowed him to have his privacy and independence, and I could have a little bit of free time as well. Even if it’s ten minutes where I could read a book while he showers, it makes a difference,”
– Donna Nelson, Past House Guest
Out of 32 guest rooms, only 5 have bathrooms that are equipped with walk-in showers. For some guests, navigating over the wall of a tub can be incredibly challenging or even impossible. Many patients require the use of a shower chair, which is also difficult to maneuver in an already tight space with a wet surface, like the bathtub.
Replacing a bathtub with a walk-in shower makes getting in and out much easier on both the patient and the caregiver. Guests with limited mobility do not have to worry about navigating over the wall of the tub, and those who require the use of a wheelchair have easier access inside of the bathroom and can transfer to a shower chair more smoothly.
Learn more about our campaign in our Spring 2023 Newsletter.
Spring Campaign 2023
Support the construction of four new, more accessible showers at the House.
June 29th, 2022, was an extraordinary day like no other. On this beautiful, sunny Wednesday, Gift of Life Family House was officially renamed as Gift of Life Howie’s House to honor former President and CEO, Howard M. Nathan.
The celebration kicked off with a day event honoring Howard where current and former staff came together to commemorate all of Howard’s accomplishments. Guests enjoyed good food and laughter while our guest speakers, John Edwards, Brian Hamilton, Kevin Sparkman, and John Abrams all shared special memories from working with Howard throughout his long, incomparable career.
Following this luncheon, the festivities continued to further recognize Howard’s immeasurable contributions with an evening event for Howard’s friends, family, colleagues and close members of the transplant community. Delicious food, drinks, live music and special guest speakers made for a truly unforgettable night. The distinguished guest speakers included Dr. Barbara Wadsworth, Dr. Clyde Barker, Phyllis Weber, David Fleming, and Brian Zionts-Bernstein, who all laid testimony to the tremendous impact Howard has made on the community.
Both events wrapped up with remarks from President and CEO, Richard Hasz, and Chief Administrative Officer, Jan Weinstock, as well as a special tribute video honoring the many traits that make Howard who he is. Howard himself closed out the events, sharing how his own background led him to become the leader his is today.
As he said in his remarks, “I am very honored that Gift of Life Family House is being renamed Gift of Life Howie’s House…Some of you may wonder where that name came from. While most people know me by Howard, my family and close friends know me as Howie. It is a name that reminds me of home, growing up as a small-town kid in the safe haven of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is this atmosphere of comfort, warmth, and safety that we provide here for our transplant patients and families at Howie’s House.”
If you couldn’t join us, you can find photos and watch the livestream of the evening’s program and the Gift of Life Howie’s House dedication here on our Facebook page.
We would also like to thank those who have honored Howard through contributing a special gift to the Beyond Measure: The Howard M. Nathan Impact Fund. A gift to the Impact Fund supports Howard’s vision – today and into the future – for a place of affordable respite for transplant families where no one will be turned away because of inability to pay. Your support provides a lasting tribute to Howard and means a great deal to him and the families we serve. The Fund will remain open to all of those who still want to make a contribution!
Theresa had considered herself knowledgeable about organ and tissue donation after seeing how it worked as a respiratory therapist, but when her co-worker’s granddaughter passed away and became an organ donor, she was inspired to learn more about the process.
After learning about the Howie’s House through a Gift of Life presentation, she and her family held a fundraiser to support our mission to care for transplant families. They also signed up to participate in our Home Cook Heroes program under the team name “Team Shea” as a tribute to her co-worker’s granddaughter.
“We had such a great time cooking meals for these families…and we’ve been volunteering ever since!” Theresa says.
Since her team’s initial visit in 2017, they’ve been back several times and have earned an All-Stars a plate on our wall.
Joining Theresa in our kitchen are her children and her grandkids. They prepare comforting meals like shepherd’s pie and meatballs and ziti. Sometimes they serve fun, interactive meals like “Walk-Around Tacos” where guests can create their own taco salads in a Frito’s bag.
Along with dinner, Team Shea brings games and gives guests a chance to win items like puzzle books, decks of cards, paperback books, or candy.
“We figured some of these items could make their time waiting a little easier,” Theresa adds. “No matter how bad a day they may have had, the Howie’s House guests are so nice and appreciative. It’s amazing.”
Team Shea also provides dessert!
“One time, a guest asked me if he could bring some extra cookies to his wife in the hospital to cheer her up,” Theresa says. “It amazed me that something Team Shea did—something so little—would make his wife’s time in the hospital a little bit better.”
Volunteers like Team Shea are such a vital part of our mission. Their hard work and dedication in our kitchen help us welcome transplant families home and lessen their burden of worrying about what to eat or where to get it after a long day.
Theresa hopes other people will become inspired to learn about the Howie’s House and its Home Cook Heroes program.
“People should go to the Howie’s House to see what it’s like and donate their time,” she says. “The staff tries so hard to make the guests feel as comfortable as possible. It’s even better than I imagined it to be.”
When Ashley saw a Facebook post about an ill member of her church family in need of a life-saving liver transplant, she couldn’t just scroll past it. “I felt this tug on my heart,” she says. “I felt like this was absolutely something I was supposed to do.”
Ashley was going to see if she could donate a portion of her liver. After testing, she was approved and thankful for the opportunity to save another’s life as a living-donor.
Ashley traveled 800 miles from where she was living in Atlanta, GA to Philadelphia, PA for the surgery. “I did a lot of research about the area and what places were available for living-donors to stay after surgery,” she says. “That’s how I found out about the Gift of Life Howie’s House.”
She checked in to the House the night before her surgery and returned when she was discharged from the hospital to recover.
While Ashley was in Philadelphia, she had many people supporting her who were also able to stay at the Gift of Life Howie’s House.
“Another woman from my church, Sheila, became my support person,” Ashley says. “While I was in the hospital, the House was an invaluable resource for her. When she was not with me, she was able to come back to shower, rest, and eat. She took advantage of the shuttle during this time and this was a huge blessing to her as she was not quite comfortable taking a taxi by herself.”
“I loved how friendly the staff was, how neat and clean the home was, and that they offered home-cooked meals in the evenings,” Sheila says. “I also loved being able to talk to other families about their loved ones.”
Sheila flew back home when Ashley was discharged. Ashley was able to have others visit the House to support her.
“The Gift of Life Howie’s House made the recovery easier. I was able to make friends with others on a transplant journey and this made me feel less alone and truly understood,” Ashley adds. “What they are doing to help transplant families is beautiful and more helpful than they may ever know.”
Ashley successfully became a living-donor and formed a close relationship with her recipient, Denice.
“My recipient and her family consider me family, and she calls me her ‘liver sister.’ Several months after our surgeries, she got to be present when her great-grandson was born. I have so loved seeing how she is living out her second chance at life!”
“I feel very blessed to have a living-donor,” says Denice. “I never feel like I could do enough to show how much she has given back to me. I can go places on my own and not worry about forgetting where I am. Ashley is one of the easiest people to talk to and is always willing to help anyone she can.”
“Before my experience, I knew very little about organ donation or the importance of it,” Ashley says. “Going through this brought me together with others going through similar experiences and it really opened my eyes to how many people are out there waiting for a life-saving transplant. I did have some friends and family who weren’t as comfortable, but I just continued to talk with them about the importance of donating and what the process was going to look like for me. I would want people to know it’s really not as scary as it sounds! I’m three and a half years post-op and I live a normal, healthy life.”
On Thursday, October 3rd, NASCAR driver Joey Gase visited Gift of Life Howie’s House, inviting us to take part in his outreach to educate millions of NASCAR fans worldwide about the life-saving importance of organ and tissue donation.
As part of his Hand Prints of Hope event, 50 members of the transplant community covered the hood of Joey’s racecar with hand prints and special messages which he raced that weekend during the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Dover International Speedway in Dover, DE. NASCAR fans were drawn to the colorful hand prints, messages, and the Gift of Life Donor Program logo in the center.
“It turns a ton of heads at the race track. When people see the hand prints all over the car, they want to come up and ask us about it and we get to tell them,” Gase, 26, said during his speech at the event.
When Joey was 18 years old, his mother, Mary, passed away of a sudden brain aneurism and was an organ donor. She was able to save and transform the lives of 66 people.
“Ever since that day, I wanted to do whatever I could to help raise awareness for organ donation and honor all those affected by it,” he said. “It’s not easy for the recipients, those on the waitlist, or the donor families. There are over 110,000 people on the waitlist nationwide and I want to do whatever I can to get that down to zero.”
We thank Joey and his team at Joey Gase Racing for their advocacy and support, and our friends at Medline for sponsoring this event!
Gift of Life Donor Program and MTF Biologics have partnered together for more than 20 years to bring the gift of life-changing tissues to patients throughout the U.S. and beyond. Now, MTF Biologics is spending time in the Howie’s House kitchen preparing meals for transplant families as part of our Home Cook Heroes program.
“The Howie’s House is one of the best ideas Howard Nathan has ever had,” says Martha Anderson, Executive Vice President of Donor Services at MTF Biologics. She has served on the Gift of Life Donor Program governing board for many years and supported the Howie’s House from its conception. MTF Biologics has underwritten the Howie’s House’s 4th Floor Lounge, and supported its annual Kidney Open Golf Outing and Donor Dash.
Martha recently brought her executive team to visit the Howie’s House and they decided they wanted to get more involved. “It’s also an amazing place for our staff to give back, learn about donation, and continue supporting Gift of Life,” Martha explains. “We also really want to get a plate on the wall!”
The plates on the wall in our kitchen celebrate our Home Cook Heroes All-Stars, groups who volunteer at least 12 times a year (typically about once a month) to help take care of our families.
“The Howie’s House is an amazing home away from home for transplant patients and families. The staff is committed to doing everything they can to take care of them,” Martha says. “Everyone from MTF Biologics who comes down to cook loves it, feels humbled, and appreciates the opportunity to give back.”
Not only does MTF Biologics come in to cook, but sometimes, they provide entertainment as well! MTF Biologic’s resident band, The Bone Tones, led by President and CEO Joe Yaccarino, came to perform during dinner one night and was invited back to play at the Howie’s House’s annual President’s Reception.
“They were really happy to come to the Howie’s House and play,” Martha says.
MTF Biologics is well on their way to joining our Home Cook Heroes All-Stars with a plate of their own on the wall. They’ve already come in 10 times this year and have prepared Mexican and Italian dinners as well as baked goods and brunch. We are so thankful for their commitment to our mission and look forward to see what they whip up next!
On Friday, May 17, 2019 our colleagues from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital joined us at the Howie’s House for a special luncheon to celebrate an amazing milestone in our partnership—a $250,000 pledge from their hospital to support the Howie’s House mission. As part of this pledge, Jefferson Hospital underwrote our “Family Community Center” on the lower level of the Howie’s House, which includes our laundry and fitness facilities, salon, Volunteer Center, and Activity Center.
During the luncheon, special remarks were made by Richard Webster, President of Jefferson Hospital, Howard M. Nathan, Founder and President of Gift of Life Howie’s House, and Ed Carman, a liver and kidney recipient treated at Jefferson and former Howie’s House guest. Following the program was a ceremony to unveil the “Family Community Center” plaque in Jefferson’s name.
“Jefferson saved my life and I will always be thankful for that,” Ed said during the event. “While I was staying [at the hospital], my wife had a safe place here, and a caring place here. I didn’t have to worry about that for her. I knew she was OK.”
Jefferson was the first transplant center to financially support the Howie’s House. In their first pledge, they underwrote the Howie’s House’s dining area where families can meet and connect over their experiences while sharing a warm, home-cooked meal.
“I feel committed to the Howie’s House because I see the impact it has across the community,” said Mr. Webster. “We are so fortunate that it’s here for our patients.”
Mr. Webster, Ed, and his wife, Gail, were also presented with the Howie’s House challenge coin, which is a token of thanks given to members of our community who represent values we hold dear, including family, community, compassion, generosity, service, and commitment.
Through their compassion, commitment, generosity, and service to our mission, our colleagues at Jefferson Hospital have made incredible efforts to strengthen patients, families, and the transplant community. We are so thankful for their support!
After the event, Jefferson Hospital staff participated in a team-building baking competition in the Howie’s House kitchen as part of our Home Cook Heroes Program. We have had more Home Cook Hero volunteers from Jefferson Hospital than any other hospital in our region—just another way Jefferson demonstrates their loyalty and commitment to our mission.
We are so thankful for our partnership with them!
Something very special happened in the Gift of Life Howie’s House kitchen this summer.
Two families not only came together to cook a warm, home-cooked meal for our guests, but to also celebrate the life of toddler Mason Hess, an organ donor who saved four lives.
The two families were Mason’s own, and the family of the little boy who received Mason’s lungs, Bryson Palmer.
Kellie and Adam Hess regularly volunteer at the Gift of Life Howie’s House as Home Cook Heroes as a way to keep Mason’s memory alive. When Bryson Palmer and his family flew from their home in Ohio to visit the Hess’ in New Jersey, everyone thought it would be a great idea to cook a meal together at the House. The only volunteer date available during their visit was Mason’s birthday.
“It was such a moving experience to cook with the family of one of Mason’s recipients and see how far both families have come,” Kellie says. “We are so happy that this wonderful little boy is healthy. We felt such a bond with him.”
When Bryson was five months old, he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer and received 18 months of treatment, including chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, radiation, and immuno-therapy. Unfortunately, he suffered a rare side effect—progressive scarring of the lungs—and required a double lung transplant. Bryson and his family traveled over 500 miles from Ohio to St. Louis, Missouri where he waited for 12 weeks in the PICU before he received his precious gift of life from Mason.
It’s been six years since Bryson received his transplant and he has remained cancer free. He’s also the healthiest he’s ever been.
“It feels like Mason’s family and my family were meant to be in each other’s lives,” Katie, Bryson’s mother, says. “We at least hoped we’d be able to say thank you to the family who donated their loved one’s organs. We never expected to have such a close relationship, but now we’re all family.”
The Palmers’ stay as Home Cook Heroes was the first time they’d ever been to a Gift of Life Howie’s House-like facility. “During Bryson’s transplant journey, we traveled over 500 miles from home,” Katie says. “We were told we had to stay there but had nowhere to go. I slept in the hospital with Bryson and kept necessities in my car in the parking garage. My husband traveled back and forth from Ohio so he could continue working. We eventually did get an apartment, but there was no pantry, no meal offered every night, and we were completely on our own. It’s amazing that the House is a place to call home for so many people.” While cooking at the House, Bryson and his family were able to meet two other double lung recipients.
“It’s so nice to see this community,” Katie adds. “It would’ve been nice to have other families to talk to.”
We are so proud and humbled that our kitchen was a warm meeting place for such a meaningful moment between a donor and recipient family. These families are a true testament to how organ donation changes lives—and it was all possible because Adam and Kellie said yes to donation.
Through the generosity and support of our contributors, Gift of Life Howie’s House is able to provide a “home away from home” for transplant patients and their families.
Click here to donate today!
Each year, members of Gift of Life Howie’s House community hold Facebook fundraisers to raise money for our mission of being a “home away from home” for transplant families. Some people give up their birthdays and ask their Facebook friends to donate to our cause in lieu of gifts, and others fundraise in honor or memory of a loved one. Whatever the reason, we are extremely grateful for each and every one!
Hosting a Facebook fundraiser is an easy, fun, quick way to support our mission. It’s also a great way to get your friends involved and share your story to your community.
Signing up is easy! Simply click the link below, set your goal, share your story, and press “create” to share with your friends and family!
Join the many others who have already supported us and set up your Facebook fundraiser today!
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