Campaign and Supporter Stories
Since we opened our doors more than six years ago, the Howie’s House has welcomed thousands of transplant patients and their caregivers to a real “home away from home.”
Among them is Alicia Hoover-Murphy, who found help and hope here first as a caregiver…and later as a transplant patient.
Alicia and her father had both been diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis—a terminal lung disease for which a lung transplant is currently the only treatment option.
Two days before his 46th birthday, the call came … Alicia’s father would receive a new set of lungs. Like many transplant families, they were far from home as they waited and hoped—for months.
Your support of Gift of Life Howie’s House made sure they had a little less to worry about during those endless, scary months. At the end of every long, hard day spent at the hospital cheering him on, the family returned to a “home away from home” that included home-cooked meals; clean, comfortable rooms; heartfelt support from staff; and camaraderie with other transplant families.
Although her father’s transplant was a success, complications mounted in the months following the procedure, which ultimately claimed his life.
Over the next few years, Alicia grew sicker herself. It was a bittersweet day when she and her loved ones returned to Gift of Life Howie’s House so she, too, could undergo the many tests and consultations that would lead her to being listed for a transplant.
“When we were there for my father, we’d made friends with the staff and other families at the Howie’s House. They were all like a second family to us,” Alicia says. “It was so nice to be surrounded by people who understood what we were going through and to be able to educate one another about what to expect.”
When her call finally came, Alicia was more than ready for the lung transplant that would restore her to health, to her family, to life.
Alicia’s transplant was a success. She and her family are deeply thankful for the organ donor who gave her a second chance in life and for contributors like you who make the Howie’s House a warm, wonderful, and affordable place to stay during a most difficult time.
“Thank you to all of you for this amazing home. You make it possible for the Howie’s House to offer an environment that is safe to people going through extremely rough times in their lives,” Alicia says. “The Family House provided a place of shelter for my family and provided me with a whole other family that I love and care about as if they were my own relatives.”
Have you ever wondered how the people and charities you care about will fair when you are no longer here to help them?
A good way to make certain that your values live on is by writing down what’s important to you. Another is by making provisions in your estate plan to ensure your charitable support continues.
By including the Howie’s House in your will/bequest, you can help to ensure that the Howie’s House is able to maintain their affordable fees and broad array of services for all who need support— now and in the future. It is an easy and simple way that you can support the future of the Howie’s House, and continue care for transplant patients and families. Bequests can be a percentage of the
remainder of your estate or a specific dollar amount. If you already have prepared a will, you can simply add a codicil amending it to include the Howie’s House.
IS YOUR WILL DUE FOR AN UPDATE?
Here area few reasons that individuals or couples may need to update their will:
• A change in marital status
• The birth or adoption of a child or grandchild
• The death of an individual included in your will
• Retirement or relocation to another state
• A change in assets
• The start of a new business
• New tax laws
ALREADY INCLUDED THE FAMILY HOUSE IN YOUR WILL?
Let us know so we can celebrate with you now! Enjoy recognition today as a Legacy Society member. Donors who notify us that they have made arrangements for planned gifts will be recognized as members of our prestigious Legacy Society. Visit www.GiftofLifeFamilyHouse.org for more information.
TO DISCUSS MAKING A PLANNED GIFT TO GIFT OF LIFE FAMILY HOUSE OR IF YOU HAVE ALREADY NAMED US IN YOUR WILL, please contact Sara Cohen, Development Manager at 267-546-9812 or email scohen@giftoflifefamilyhouse.org. Please consult your attorney, tax advisor or financial advisor before making a bequest or updating your estate plan.
Valerie Guerin has been thinking and praying about hearts for a very long time. When she was 20 weeks pregnant, Valerie and her husband, Mark, learned that their baby girl, Cora, was missing her entire left ventricle. The condition is known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS).
From the moment she was born, Cora underwent multiple surgeries to enable her heart to pump enough oxygen-rich blood through her body to sustain her. Though she had a rough start in life, she thrived. She loved to run and go horseback riding, learned to play the piano, and was a wonderful big sister to her bother, Stephen, and sister, Amelie.
When Cora turned 10, it became harder for her to breathe and she was listed for a heart transplant. In spite of this, Cora continued to participate in an after-school club, Character Strides, which incorporates character building and life skills into a running program.
It was difficult for Cora to understand how she could compete in the club’s 3-mile race and still need a heart transplant. That summer Cora was in and out of the hospital and doctors were contemplating putting her on a ventricular assist device (VAD) to buy her time until a new heart became available. During that hospitalization, Cora received a heart transplant and miraculous second chance at life thanks to a charitable act by a donor family. Now 11, Cora received the gift of life nearly a year after she last ran. She’s looking forward to running again soon.
Valerie and her family live in Connecticut where she is a stay-at-home mom. She made the decision to stop working in order to devote herself to managing Cora’s care. Now the mother of three, she describes motherhood as, “The best job I’ve ever known, with three wonderful little employers and a great colleague.”
Though Cora’s heart transplant was successful, the process wasn’t easy. She endured setbacks that kept her in the hospital for over two months. Thankfully Cora’s siblings, and other family members, were able to stay close by at the Howie’s House.
“When Cora was well enough that Mark or I could leave her bedside, we got to spend time at the Howie’s House with Steve and Amee, which meant a lot to us,” says Valerie.
On January 11th, Cora was discharged to the Howie’s House. “I loved the proximity to the hospital of the Howie’s House and the fact that we could focus on Cora’s recovery there,” explains Valerie. “It was wonderful that I didn’t have to bring her to crowded public places. We appreciated the volunteers who came in to cook and those who allowed Cora to cook with them.”
Cora says she also enjoyed visits with the therapy dogs who regularly visit the Howie’s House while her own dog, Waggles, who she rescued, waited patiently for her to return home. She and Valerie also enjoyed getting haircuts from the stylist who visited the Howie’s House.
Adds Valerie, “The Howie’s House is a safe, comfortable place to recuperate and a really great transition to home. We went from the structure of hospitalization to the freedom to relax — when not running to appointments.”
Four weeks after Cora came to stay at the Howie’s House, she and her family got the good news that she could go home.
Mother and daughter have shared lots of hugs throughout the transplant journey. “I admire the way she’s always taking care of me,” says Cora.
Valerie’s wish for Mother’s Day: “That we can stay together as a family and not have to be separated again.”
Mother’s Day, May 14th, is just around the corner. To show your love this Mother’s Day, please consider making a gift to the Howie’s House. In return, we will mail our beautiful commemorative Mother’s Day card on your behalf to your special mother, spouse, sister, aunt, or friend. Learn more here: http://
Merida Bourjolly and her 16-year-old daughter, Yani Barrow, are two peas in a pod. They both laugh easily and are often told they look and sound alike. They have been through many difficult moments during the past three years as Merida underwent kidney dialysis and then transplant. And yet they remain upbeat and inspire those around them.
Though Merida was born with two healthy kidneys, at three weeks old she developed a kidney infection and her left kidney had to be removed. Three years ago, during a routine doctor visit, she was told that her right kidney was failing. Not long after, she was listed for a kidney transplant. Merida received the gift of life in early December.
Merida’s laugh and smile helped Yani throughout their ordeal. “She has positive energy around her,” says Yani. “I want to be around people like my mom. I try to take her positivity with me to school.”
Merida credits the Howie’s House with helping her maintain her optimistic outlook.
“I felt no negativity there, nothing but encouragement to feel better and to get well. There’s so much love that you experience from the staff, from volunteers who come to cook for us, and those who shuttle us to the hospital.”
Merida continues, “You can’t help but feel happy during your stay. I was never scared or felt like I was far from home — particularly due to the staff. They went out of their way to make us comfortable,” adds Merida. “They were an important part of my care, recovery and well being.”
Yani is studying ballet and modern dance at the prestigious Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School in New York City. Merida is a cosmetologist and has her own salon where she encourages her clients to pursue a healthy lifestyle. She continued to work three days a week while undergoing dialysis. Merida and Yani would leave their home in Queens at 5:30 in the morning so that Yani could catch a bus and two trains to school and Merida could make it to dialysis early and be home to help Yani with her homework. During Yani’s school breaks, she went with Merida to dialysis so she could see firsthand what her mother was going through.
Merida coped with cold extremities, pain, and cramping brought on by many hours of dialysis, which she needed to stay alive while she waited for a kidney to become available. Regardless of her discomfort, she went to all of Yani’s dance recitals and school meetings.
Yani explains, “God blessed my mother to have this positivity. When I had a show or a meeting, and her muscles were cramping and her body was hurting because of dialysis, instead of her saying ‘No, I don’t feel good,’ she’d always say, ‘I’ll be there.’” In 2015, during her sophomore year, Yani asked Merida if she could be in a pageant. She thought it would help build her confidence. Merida agreed. Yani competed first at the state level in the Miss New York Junior Teen pageant, where she was among the top 10 finalists, first runner-up for talent, and second runner-up for modeling. Her success qualified her to go to the National American Miss pageant in California, where she also did well. These were remarkable achievements, especially since she was new to such competitions. Merida arranged to get dialysis while she was in California, so she could be there to coach Yani and do her hair and makeup.
“I couldn’t have done it without her. She’s a really strong woman. I can’t believe how strong she is.” says Yani.
Merida stayed at the Howie’s House for two months while she was recovering from transplant surgery, with family members coming in from as far as Haiti to be at her side. She credits the healing environment there for her peace of mind. “It allowed me to not have to think of the things that I would have to think of if I was home. It allowed me the comfort of being able to go to the hospital using the shuttle services. The shuttle drivers wanted to know how I was feeling. The social worker wanted to know how I was feeling. The staff really looks out for you and your needs.”
“Staying at the Howie’s House also allowed me to grow spiritually. I experienced a lot of things that I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to otherwise, like hearing the stories of the people who volunteer there and why they come there to give back.” “I’ve made so many friends at the Howie’s House, people I would not have otherwise been able to get to know or to hear their stories. That was huge for me. Finding out about their transplants and how it affected them and their families. It really was a growing experience for me to be there.”
The affordability of the Howie’s House also provided peace of mind for Merida, a single mother. “It was very important to me, knowing that I’m self-employed and was going to have to stop working during my recovery process. Not having to stay in a hotel was really major for me. Then to find out how affordable the Howie’s House made it for us was really a blessing to our family.”
Have you ever wondered how the people and charities you care about will fair when you are no longer here to help them? A good way to make certain that your values live on is by writing down what’s important to you. Another is by making provisions in your estate plan to ensure your charitable support continues. By including the Howie’s House in your will/bequest you can help to ensure that the Howie’s House is able to maintain their affordable fees and broad array of services for all who need support— now and in the future. It is an easy and simple way that you can support the future of the Howie’s House, and continue care for transplant patients and families. Bequests can be a percentage of the remainder of your estate or a specific dollar amount. If you already have prepared a will, you can simply add a codicil amending it to include the Howie’s House.
IS YOUR WILL DUE FOR AN UPDATE? Here are a few reasons that individuals or couples may need to update their will:
- A change in marital status
- The birth or adoption of a child or grandchild
- The death of an individual included in your will
- Retirement or relocation to another state
- A change in assets
- The start of a new business
- New tax laws
ALREADY INCLUDED THE FAMILY HOUSE IN YOUR WILL? Let us know so we can celebrate with you now! Enjoy recognition today as a Legacy Society member. Donors who notify us that they have made arrangements for planned gifts will be recognized as members of our prestigious Legacy Society. Visit www.GiftofLifeFamilyHouse.org for more information.
TO DISCUSS MAKING A PLANNED GIFT TO GIFT OF LIFE FAMILY HOUSE OR IF YOU HAVE ALREADY NAMED US IN YOUR WILL, please contact Sara Cohen, Development Manager at 267-546-9812 or email scohen@giftoflifefamilyhouse.org.
Please consult your attorney, tax advisor or financial advisor before making a bequest or updating your estate plan.
Support the Adopt-A-Family Program. Consider making a tax-deductible gift to the Adopt-A-Family Program – each $40 contribution helps support one night of lodging for a family staying at the Howie’s House who cannot afford the nightly fee. You can contribute to sponsor one night, two nights, a weekend or more. Gifts of any level are meaningful.
Host an Event! From golf outings to intimate dinners in your home, there are countless ways you, your family, and friends can fundraise for the Howie’s House. Fundraising events are also a great way to reconnect with family and friends and remember or celebrate a loved one while supporting our important mission.
Become a Home Cook Hero! Groups of up to 10 people can provide, prepare (on or off-site) and serve a meal to guests staying at the Howie’s House. Enjoy cooking in our fully equipped kitchen as well as seeing the impact of your service on our families first-hand.
Host a Wish List Drive! Keeping the Howie’s House stocked with basic home necessities – such as food, toiletries, and pantry items – requires a lot of donated items. This is an excellent activity to involve your family, company, religious group, or friends. You can also collect grocery store gift cards to keep our refrigerators stocked with the things we run out of most – milk, eggs, and butter! The Howie’s House is also in need of gas cards to keep our free shuttle service operational – transporting patients and families to and from local hospitals each day.
Join the Legacy Society for Planned Giving. By making a “planned gift” – a gift through your estate – you can ensure the future success of Gift of Life Howie’s House and have the satisfaction of knowing that your values will live on through the loving care we provide.
Be a Corporate Partner. Through volunteerism, sponsorship, grants and program support, hundreds of corporations have partnered with Gift of Life Howie’s House to support transplant patients and their families. In return, corporations receive unique recognition, brand visibility through our various communications tools and social media platforms as well opportunities for employee team building events and ways to engage and reconnect with clients. If your business or corporation is interested in supporting programs or other initiatives at Gift of Life Howie’s House, we would be happy to help create a mutually beneficial partnership.
The Gift of Life Howie’s House rounds out a ‘circle of care’ for transplant patients and families
Our ‘home away from home’ has helped thousands find peace of mind and hope.
‘Where does a polar bear keep his money?” teases 5-year-old Amelia Torgersen to our reception desk staff who have been eagerly awaiting her arrival. “In the snow bank,” she answers and giggles.
Every time Amelia comes running into the Gift of Life Howie’s House with her parents, Bonnie and Brian, she immediately looks for the smiling faces she has come to know and trust. She brings her latest stuffed “friend” and asks that it be given a yellow wristband ID, just like hers.
It’s hard to believe that bouncy, fun-loving Amelia had a liver transplant just nine months ago, or that she is now undergoing chemotherapy for PTLD (Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder), a complication that can occur after transplant. Amelia has struggled since birth with Alagille syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by abnormalities to the bile ducts that harm the liver and can affect other parts of the body. The genetic defect that causes Alagille can be inherited, or occur randomly.
Amelia had heart and kidney surgeries, even before her liver started to fail. At that point, the Torgersens relocated from their home in Nashville, Tenn. through Brian’s employer — first to Florida and then to Pittsburgh. They wanted to be as close as possible to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and its renowned Alagille Syndrome Clinical Care Program, and for her transplant surgery.
Not one to complain, Amelia now bravely faces too many ‘ouchies’ during chemotherapy, but looks forward to staying at the Gift of Life Howie’s House where our staff make her feel special.
Five years of caring
On July 11th, Gift of Life Howie’s House celebrated its fifth year of serving transplant patients and their families receiving care at one of the eight transplant centers in Greater Philadelphia. In this short time, we have served more than 1,300 transplant families, many of whom have stayed with us several times over the course of their loved one’s care. In total, we’ve provided over 33,000 room nights of comfort.
“At first, we didn’t know if it was going to work,” says founder and CEO, Howard Nathan, reflecting back on the leap of faith that brought together benefactors, board members, health care providers, government agencies, and other supporters to help build a “house” for patients and families going through the transplant process.
Today, the success of the Gift of Life Howie’s House is evident. “I ask almost every day about occupancy. It makes me proud when 28 out of our 30 rooms are filled. It reminds me that we did the right thing, that the need that’s desperately there is being met.
“I think what sets us apart is our staff members who are there, available, and who care 24/7,” notes Howard. “I think that families understand that and are touched by it.”
The Torgersens agree. When Amelia came to stay at the House after her liver transplant in December, she was drawn to the kid-size Adirondack chairs on our patio. But because it was cold and snowy, she couldn’t sit outside. When they came to stay in the spring, Amelia’s first thought was to run outside to sit in ‘her’ chair, but the chairs weren’t there, explains Brian. “So we go inside to Diana Elbanna (resident manager) and Amelia says, ‘Miss Diana, where are the little tiny girl chairs?’ And Diana says, ‘They’re not out there?’ So there was this brief commotion over the chairs. The next week, guess what, the little tiny girl chairs were there.”
Adds Bonnie, “Even on the days that are difficult for Amelia, she talks about sitting in ‘her’ chair. And so the patio is somewhere we can go with her at the end of the day where she has a little time to sit in her chair and just relax and refuel for the next day.”
Whether it’s having access to a fully stocked pantry and tasty leftovers if they miss the evening meal, or toiletries they forgot to pack, the Gift of Life Howie’s House is a safe and comforting haven for them. “We don’t lack for anything there,” says Bonnie.
Rounding out a ‘circle of care’
A ‘circle of care’ for transplant patients and families begins when a person with end-stage organ failure is listed for transplant. The list is national and Gift of Life Donor Program works with its partners around the country to find willing donor families and viable organs.
“The reality is that the number of people who can donate is very small. Only about 1 to 2 percent of all of the people who pass away can be considered as potential organ donors,” explains Howard, who has been with Gift of Life Donor Program since 1978 and is its President and CEO. “In our region, out of about 40,000 people who die each year in the 129 hospitals we serve, there are only approximately 800 who could be potential organ donors. That’s why there’s a shortage. It’s not because people are unwilling. It’s because the number who are medically suitable is very small.
“This year we’ll have over 500 organ donors and more than 1,300 people receiving transplants in our region. That doesn’t sound like a big number, but it’s the largest anywhere in the United States, probably the world, for any one region.”
Gift of Life Donor Program is responsible for working with the transplant teams to preserve the organs and safely transport them to waiting surgeons, patients, and families. The Gift of Life Howie’s House takes care of families while their loved ones are waiting to be transplanted, during recovery, and throughout post-transplant care. While other transplant houses typically serve one transplant center, the Howie’s House serves all eight centers in its vicinity. “That’s pretty unique, and I’m very proud of that,” says Howard.
In addition to affordable lodging, home-cooked meals, and transportation, the Gift of Life Howie’s House also provides education, counseling, and emotional support through its Caregiver Lifeline Program. The first of its kind, this program provides a supportive network and educational services specifically tailored to the needs of organ transplant patients, family members and caregivers — those staying at the House as well as those living in the broader community.
For the Torgersens, the House is a “tool in a toolbox” to make life easier. “When you’re at that point of fear and anxiety — things that come with the unknown — there’s somebody that’s got your back. It doesn’t make anybody’s individual situation better, their difficulties are going to be just as challenging, but to know somebody’s got your back is meaningful.” explains Brian.
Making every day count
When traveling down the long and winding road of caring for a chronically ill loved one, it is easy to lose focus on the everyday things that give life meaning.
“We had to work very hard to give Amelia what we feel is the best quality of life: That is, to step away from the clinical side of things and remember that she’s a little girl — and take her to the beach, take her to Disney, take her to the park. Sometimes with the medical side of things, you almost want to put life on hold — until transplant, or until she’s done with chemo, or things like that,” explains Bonnie.
For Amelia’s fifth birthday, at her request, the family went camping. When the weather turned warm, they packed Amelia’s medical gear, along with their camping gear, and headed out to Allegheny National Forest. “Amelia is definitely an outdoor girl,” laughs Bonnie. “We gave her a choice of going out on a boat or hiking. She picked hiking. She had a little walking stick. She kept saying, ‘I’m the leader, follow the leader.’ She loves to explore. She enjoyed studying the rocks, the different leaves, and trees. That’s her happy place.”
Adds Brian: “She doesn’t understand life. As far as she knows, it’s kind of rough, because it’s always been rough. But she’s a fun, loving spirit that when you’re around her you just smile. And you don’t do it because she said something funny; you do it because she’s this sweet, beautiful thing.”
Although they have health insurance, the Torgersens have faced substantial out-of-pocket costs, since Amelia’s birth, for medications, medical supplies, formula for her tube feedings, and travel to and from Philadelphia. “By the time you put all of the pieces together, it’s a costly process,” says Brian.
Securing the Howie’s House’s future
“Each year, we have to raise about $1.7 to $1.8 million dollars just to keep the doors open,” notes Howard. Driving the need for funds is the Gift of Life Howie’s House’s commitment to maintaining a low nightly rate of $40 even though the actual cost for providing all of the included services is $165 per room per night. Each room accommodates up to four people. Families who can’t afford the nightly fee are given subsidies. “We don’t turn anyone away because of their inability to pay,” adds Howard.
The House depends on charitable contributions, large and small, to make this possible. “Last year we had over 2,300 individuals or organizations give us charitable contributions. I wish I could name them all. We’ve even had grade school kids hold fundraisers and collect money at school. Businesses will do dress-down days and collect $5 from everybody wearing blue jeans. Those combined gifts of $200, $300, they help.”
The Gift of Life Howie’s House works, adds Howard, because of neighbors helping neighbors, whether through charitable contributions or by volunteering.
“Every time I walk through the door at the House, it really makes me proud of our team, of the families who are courageous in going through transplantation, and our volunteers. When I meet our Home Cook Heroes — many of whom are transplant families — and our other volunteers, I am truly grateful. We simply couldn’t do it without them.”
To make a charitable gift to the Gift of Life Howie’s House, or to volunteer, please use the enclosed envelope or visit us online at www.GiftofLifeFamilyHouse.org.
Stay tuned over the next few months as Gift of Life Howie’s House unveils a special way that you, your family and friends can celebrate 5 years of the House!
Gift of Life Howie’s House is proud to spotlight members of the Legacy Society who have made planned gifts to support the future of the House.
“It takes a lot to keep the Gift of Life Howie’s House running, and to be able to provide rooms for people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to have a place to stay. I think it’s very important that this continue.” – Jean Jones
Jean and Sam Jones are passionate supporters of the Gift of Life Howie’s House.
Jean Jones vividly remembers what it was like spending an entire summer living in a hotel in Washington, D.C. after her son’s organ transplant in 2006, because there was no transplant house. “There were a lot of people that we got to know – some from Philadelphia – who really didn’t have any place to stay,” says Jean, who is from New Jersey. “It was very difficult for them.”
After her son’s successful transplant, Jean learned about our plans for the Howie’s House and the rest, as they say, is history. “When I heard about the Gift of Life Howie’s House, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, that is just wonderful.’ So I got involved and then I signed up to be a volunteer.” In addition to Jean’s role as a volunteer, she and her husband, Sam, are generous supporters and great friends of the House. They also recently joined our Legacy Society.
Having experienced first-hand the plight of transplant families, Jean is especially interested in helping the Gift of Life Howie’s House fill the need for affordable lodging and services. “It is just wonderful that families are able to stay a night, or as many nights as they need to, have transportation to the hospital, have meals, and help from a social worker – anything they need. That’s so much better than just being on your own in a big city and trying to find a place to stay – and having no one to talk to or help you.” Jean explains that making provisions to include the House in their will is their way of continuing to help long after they are gone. “When you put it in your will, you know it’s going to go where you want it to go, to what you are passionate about.”
Jean and Sam support a number of charitable organizations, especially those that directly serve people. We are very grateful that the Gift of Life Howie’s House is among them. “It takes a lot to keep the House running, and to be able to provide rooms for people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to have a place to stay. I think it’s very important that this continue. The more I can help them to do that, the better.”
Gift of Life Howie’s House invites you to join Sam and Jean Jones in supporting the future of the House by becoming a member the Legacy Society.
Joining the Legacy Society is easy. Simply include the language below in your will directing a charitable gift to the Gift of Life Howie’s House and then let the House know about it. Such a bequest can take many forms including cash, stocks, or other gifts of value. A future gift made through a bequest may provide tax advantages that benefit you, your estate and your beneficiaries.
When you become a Legacy Society member, your gift will be acknowledged right away and you will be enrolled in various recognition activities, including an invitation to the yearly President’s Appreciation Reception. Your name will also be published in the Gift of Life Howie’s House’s quarterly newsletter and on its website and, for members who make bequests of $10,000 or more, your name will also be added to a special Legacy Society Wall being built in the Howie’s House living room.
When you make a bequest to the Gift of Life Howie’s House, you will help to ensure a “home away from home” for the transplant families who will need support for years to come. And, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that your deeply held values will live on through the loving care the House provides.
Sample language for making a bequest: “I give, devise, and bequeath to Gift of Life Howie’s House, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization located at 401 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123, EIN 26-0585694, or its successor-in-interest, [insert dollar amount or percentage] for its unrestricted use and purposes.”
Click here for more information about the Howie’s House and planned giving options and to download a Legacy Society Membership form.
As with any tax-deductible gift, you should consult with your tax advisor to determine the degree to which your gift may result in tax advantages to you, your estate, and your beneficiaries.
March is National Social Work Month!
In celebration, the Howie’s House would like to thank and recognize some of the local social workers who help donor families and transplant patients around Gift of Life’s region! Every Saturday, check back and read about a new social worker in the local community. Also be sure to be on the lookout for their transplant caregiver tips throughout the month via the Howie’s House social media!
LARA MORETTI has been a social worker at Gift of Life Donor Program since 2003. She’s worked in a variety of social work fields, from working with adolescents, to hospital/ transplant social work, to employment assistance, and even spent some time working for an internet advertising company in the 90’s! She’s no stranger to transplant social work because her first field placement in graduate school was with heart failure/heart transplant patients!
Why did you decide to go into Social Work?
I knew I wanted to go into some kind of counseling and helping profession (my mother was a guidance counselor) but I knew I wasn’t interested in becoming a full time therapist. Social work seemed like a good way to combine my helping and therapeutic skills while using other skills in a variety of setting. I also was always interested in the medical field and started as a hospital social worker. The job at Gift of Life came at a time when I was looking to try something different in social work.
What is your favorite aspect of your job?
I love when a donor family tells me that talking to me has helped them. So much of what I do is grief education for these families. They may have experienced loss before but this sudden, unexpected loss has them reacting in such a different way, that often they feel like they aren’t grieving normally. Most of them are experiencing normal grief; they just don’t know it. Being able to educate them and give them permission to grieve the way they are grieving is hugely rewarding.
What is your favorite way to relieve stress?
Losing myself in a good book or “This American Life” podcasts.
In today’s age of technology, a simple Facebook search can reunite long-lost friends, but it can also lead to the greatest gift of life—an organ transplant. Spending their summers growing up together in South Amboy, NJ, Gail Boscian and Mary Casey-Griffin grew incredibly close. However, after their families moved away from one another, they lost touch for about 30 years until they were reunited through social media.
“I have plans to live. We had many good times and they are not over yet—they are just beginning. This is the next chapter of our lives.” – Mary Casey-Griffin
Mary, born with polycystic kidneys, was officially diagnosed with Kidney Cancer around age 45. At that point her health rapidly declined. Having worked as an art teacher for 25 years, she tried to continue her work in administration but her health impeded her career. On peritoneal dialysis for 10 hours a day, “I was tethered to my bed –it was really getting me depressed.” In 2015, she was diagnosed with kidney cancer and needed a nephrectomy—removing both of her kidneys this past September. Her husband, son and daughter-in-law all wanted to be her living donor but were unfortunately unable to.
Meanwhile in Ohio, Gail had recently moved back to be with her family and future husband. Having just received foot surgery in March of 2015, Gail was confined to the couch for eight weeks during recovery. After playing around on social media out of sheer boredom, she remembered her long lost friend, Mary, and decided to do a search for her. After plugging her name in on Facebook, there she was! They connected and quickly became friends again.
Gail explains, “We started talking on the phone and I found out about her kidney and I said, ‘Oh, no, no, no, no—you can’t live like that!’” So without hesitation, Gail offered to be tested to see if she was a match to be Mary’s living kidney donor.
Just five months later, in August, she discovered she was an exact match for Mary. Out to lunch with two friends on a random afternoon, Mary received a call from Gail: “I just heard from our transplant center and it’s a go!”
Mary recalls, “I couldn’t even talk… I was crying and I couldn’t believe she would do something so selfless.”
Gail has struggled with the attention this selfless donation has ignited. She explains, “I don’t like people saying how wonderful I am for wanting to help my friend. I guess it’s amazing to me that more people don’t donate. I love her, she’s become like a sister to me.”
After endless phone conversations, these two women finally had the opportunity to reconnect in person before the scheduled surgery as guests of Gift of Life Howie’s House.
Upon arrival they were both immediately impressed with the Howie’s House and all the services provided to transplant families. Gail’s impression of the facility was simple: “I Love it,” she says, “there is just so much to do here!” Mary calls the Howie’s House “a godsend; I cannot imagine how important the Howie’s House is to the people that stay here. The Library alone is just amazing – it’s worth every stay here!”
Sitting around a table in the Howie’s House dining room eating Jell-O and beef broth, they were anxious to try all the delicious food prepared by the Home Cook Hero volunteers. Not being able to eat before surgery, they were dreaming of hoarding the cake from the night’s volunteers to save for a post-transplant treat.
We are happy to say that Mary and Gail’s surgeries went very well and both are recovering here at the Howie’s House. And now, looking to the future, the opportunities are endless. Mary says “I see myself living. I want to go to Ireland, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Ohio—to visit Gail—to take a few art classes. I have plans to live. We had many good times and they are not over yet—they are just beginning. This is the next chapter of our lives—we took a brief hiatus and now we are back!”
At the Howie’s House love is manifested in many ways – consider joining our mission to support and show love for transplant patients and their families. Learn how to get involved or show your support through a financial gift visit, www.GiftofLifeFamilyHouse.org.
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