Faces of Howie’s House Stories
This week, Gift of Life Howie’s House volunteer Howard Pritchard will be heading to the Transplant Games of America in Cleveland, OH. As a proud member of Gift of Life Donor Program’s Team Philadelphia, he will be competing in the 5K walk and run, cycling, and the cornhole bean bag throw event. Pritchard is a Transplant Games veteran; he has competed 7 times, even winning gold medals!
Pritchard was a living donor to his younger brother, having donated one of his kidneys to give his brother a second chance at life. “He didn’t want me to do it, but I did it anyway,” Howard Pritchard told the Daily Times in 2012. “It gave him an extra 10 years and he was a great person.”
As Pritchard stated, “one of the main reasons I do participate in the Transplant Games is to honor my brother.” Pritchard’s brother was also involved in the Transplant Games: bowling in 1998 and 2000 and later, alongside his brother, in the 5K run. Prichard’s brother sadly passed away from juvenile diabetes in 2001.
This year, Pritchard will once again honor his brother while going for the gold! And he will be accompanied by five other athletes from his hometown area, Delaware County.
Congratulations and good luck Howard!
It was 33 years ago when Cindi and Russell Westendorf met at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), purely by coincidence. Now, happily married with 3 grown children, they found themselves back at the same hospital, but this time for Russell to receive a life-saving lung transplant.
Prior to Russell and Cindi meeting, Cindi was a graduate student in Philadelphia studying counseling and creative arts therapy. Russell had gotten into a very serious motorcycle accident and was transferred to HUP, a hospital close by where Cindi was studying, to receive bone grafts. He stayed there for many months during his recovery. Cindi’s family, who knew Russell’s family, recommended she stop by his hospital room for a visit as she was already in the area – and they have been together ever since.
“I think one of my biggest reliefs was finding the Gift of Life Howie’s House, to be honest with you. That is when my heart felt better because I knew my wife was going to be okay.” — Russell Westendorf
After they got married, they settled in Colts Neck, NJ and had three sons. Russell worked as a stone and tile setter. A union man at heart, Russell loved his job, especially the fact that his hours allowed him to be home with his kids and his wife. However, it was very tough on his physical health and Russell developed a serious lung disease. Surrounded constantly by dust, insulation, and other hazardous materials, “it physically beat me up. Lung disease was part of what I did. It took some getting used to, but slowly my health got worse until suddenly I’m using 17 percent of my lung capacity, and started to have to use the oxygen.”
She is My Rock
Because of his illness, Russell was listed for a lung transplant in 2014. All too familiar with caregiving and support, Cindi, an art and trauma therapist, has been right by his side throughout his entire transplant journey. Russell could not be more grateful for their partnership, “She is my rock and probably the most giving person I’ve ever met in my life.”
After two years on the transplant list, the couple was getting into bed one night about a week before Christmas when they received the call that donor lungs were available. They rushed to Philadelphia, over 70 miles from their home at 2:30 in the morning and, upon arrival, Russell went right into surgery. He awoke on December 19th with the gift of life – a new pair of working lungs – thanks to someone’s selfless decision to say yes to donation.
After the transplant surgery, Cindi was able to stay at Gift of Life Howie’s House while her husband was in recovery. Russell said, “I think one of my biggest reliefs was finding the Howie’s House, to be honest with you. That is when my heartfelt better because I knew my wife was going to be okay.”
On Christmas morning, a few days after the surgery, the doctors moved Russell back into the ICU due to a complication. Cindi, who was staying at the House, got a call from the hospital explaining the situation. “I got up, so startled. I didn’t even think about it being Christmas but I woke up, got dressed, got myself together and opened the door and there were all these gifts [from the staff]. It was really special; it’s just a little thing like that that made me feel like we were in the right place at the right time.”
Recovery at Gift of Life Howie’s House
Russell recovered from the complication and was released from the hospital a few weeks later. He was then transferred to the Gift of Life Howie’s House to continue his recovery. After hearing so many wonderful things about the House from his wife, he had high expectations upon arriving: “When I got here, I was totally blown away. Everybody here is just wonderful, very supportive. The thoughtfulness that went into planning this place and the relief of having meals is unbelievable. And I love the fact that you can sit around and share experiences with other transplant patients.”
Though the couple remarked on many wonderful aspects of the House, Russell’s favorite, in particular, was the Home Cook Heroes program. This volunteer-based program invites people from all over the community to come to the House to prepare a home-cooked meal for Gift of Life Howie’s House guests. Russell especially enjoyed the variety of nutritious meals, “It’s all been fabulous—the whole concept that people do this for us is so nice. It has really helped me open up my pallet and try different things that I normally wouldn’t,” said Russell. “I wouldn’t even eat salad at home and now I am trying new things, like guacamole. It’s given me a new lease on life – healthy eating is important for my recovery.”
Russell and Cindi are thrilled to have a place where their sons can come for visits, a place where they can meet new families and volunteers and continue trying new foods. But above all, they are relieved to have a place where they can relax and work on getting Russell’s physical health back to normal. Russell says, now more than ever, they will both continue to live by their personal motto: “Be Positive—that’s my blood type.”
To honor Veterans today, we want to share Vernie’s story, a Veteran from the US Army who is a guest here at the Gift of Life Howie’s House!
“We miss serving in the military because it was really special to be able to help people.” – Vernie and Vernon
Now the Gift of Life Howie’s House’s turn to help, they have made this veteran’s transplant journey easier! Vernie Flores (left) and his family is originally from the Philippines and currently works as a civilian in the United States Army. He and his wife, Carla, traveled to Philadelphia from their home in Central NJ in the hopes of receiving a liver transplant. The Gift of Life Howie’s House is their “home away from home” while he is undergoing a liver transplant evaluation.
Vernie’s brother, Vernon (right), flew in from the Philippines where he now resides to be a support and caregiver for his brother during the week of transplant evaluation.
Both Vernie and Vernon are retired from the US Armed Forces. Vernie spent eight years with the army, four of which he spent stationed in Korea. In fact, he just returned to the US from his service in Korea just two years ago. Vernon is retired from the US Navy after 20 years of service. He served three tours in Iraq and one tour in Afghanistan. Both brothers miss serving in the military because it was really special for them to be able to help people.
Vernie hopes that after he receives a life-saving transplant he will be able to continue working with the Army.
Between the entire family they have more than 75 years in the US Armed Forces. Their grandfather served in WWII and their father served in the Vietnam War. Their sister and uncle were also in the Armed Forces and Vernie’s son just joined the US Marines in June of 2015.
Veterans Day is a national public holiday that is always celebrated on November 11th . Declared a holiday by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, the holiday celebrates all members of the US Armed Services. Many Americans celebrate today by attending ceremonies or celebrations that honor their troops. In fact, the city of Philadelphia just hosted its first official Veterans Day Parade this year. Check out the video here!
“It is an understatement when we say the Gift of Life Howie’s House is a life saver; a thank you will never express our gratitude.” – Felicia Padilla, recent House guest
Felicia and Jose Padilla are a young, active couple from Rockland County, New York who have been married for two years. Felicia says that, for as long as she’d known Jose, she had not known a life without dialysis. “When Jose and I first met, his kidney had just failed and he was back on dialysis. Even on our honeymoon, I spent hours apart from him as he had to go to dialysis treatments during our trip.”
As just a young child, Jose was diagnosed with Alport Syndrome, a rare genetic kidney disease that resulted in full renal failure by the age of just 16. At that time, Jose was put on dialysis and officially listed for a transplant in New York. “Luckily, Jose was blessed with a transplant from his mother, Ines, who was a perfect match,” explains Felicia, “His first transplant lasted almost 11 years before it stopped functioning.” At the age of 27, when his kidney began to fail yet again, Jose and Felicia were once again back on the transplant journey. But without a family member to serve as a living donor, and because of Jose’s high percentage of antibodies, the wait time for a kidney in New York would have been approximately 8 to 11 years. At this point, Felicia and Jose began to explore other options.
“In order to give my husband a better chance at finding a match, we began the arduous testing process to be listed at transplant centers in other states,” describes Felicia, “After five calls for potential donors that did not work out, we received a sixth call for a kidney on the 28th of June and rushed to Philadelphia in the middle of the night. Thankfully, Jose had finally found a match.”
A match was found, but Philadelphia was still three hours away, and the Padillas did not want to have to commute six hours back and forth to the hospital for his treatment and follow-up care. That’s when Jose’s transplant coordinator suggested they consider Gift of Life Howie’s House, where they stayed for four weeks over the summer while Jose recovered from his long-awaited and life-saving kidney transplant. “I cannot imagine what recovery would have been like without this safe haven,” says Felicia of the Gift of Life Howie’s House. “We could have never afforded a hotel each night. The House was an affordable place where we could comfortably stay and it was only about 20 minutes from Jose’s hospital, with free transportation provided through the Gift of Life Howie’s House shuttle service.”
The Padillas found comfort at the House and also greatly enjoyed the Home Cook Hero meals provided by volunteers each day. As Felicia states, these home-cooked meals were “always delicious and took away so much of the stress of recovery after being in the hospital all day.” Felicia and Jose also took full advantage of the free laundry services and gym available to them, allowing them to feel, in Felicia’s words, “right at home.” And of course, the comfort of connecting with other individuals on the transplant journey – offering advice and sharing experiences – helped them immensely.
“Another one of our favorite things about Gift of Life Howie’s House,” Felicia says, “were the events they planned for the families. There was a Sunday where any guest staying at the House could receive a free haircut from a volunteer stylist in the area, a night where we tie-dyed shirts, and even a carnival night. It was amazing to see all the wonderful things Gift of Life Howie’s House provides for their guests.”
Felicia sums up her experience saying, “Gift of Life Howie’s House was a beautiful and comfortable place to rest our head at night—it was beyond our expectations. It offered us peace of mind and a place where we could ‘take it easy’ and focus solely on recovery. We were able to forget about the other stresses of life and simply live in the moment. We felt extremely safe there.”
Felicia and Jose say they now look forward to their second chance at a “normal” life together: they love traveling as much as possible, being outdoors and active and spending time with their dog, Delia. Now, thanks to Jose’s transplant and successful recovery at the Gift of Life Howie’s House, this is all possible. As Felicia notes, “it is an understatement when we say the House is a life saver; a thank you will never express our gratitude.”
“The Gift of Life Howie’s House provides a service that no one else can. It isn’t just a place to stay. It’s a family.” –Denise, liver transplant recipient and current House guest.
Denise Fegley, with her husband and caregiver Ken at her side, has spent more of the past year in the hospital rather than out. But when Denise got too sick for her local doctor’s care and was referred to a hospital in Philadelphia, the couple of 31 years thought they had hit a wall. Their new team of doctors was over two and a half hours away from home and they did not know anyone in Philadelphia. Then they heard about Gift of Life Howie’s House.
“It’s weird how things fell into place” Denise recalls. It was twice that Denise received the call of a possible liver, and both times just as she was about to leave her local hospital for the day. The second call came on New Year’s Eve. Ken had been playing a show with his band Double Talk when his daughter burst in mid-set with the announcement. Ken sat his guitar down and left with a standing ovation to make his way to Philadelphia. It was not only a new year, but a new chance at life.
For Ken, the Gift of Life Howie’s House shows just how large the transplant community is, and how difficult the transplant journey can be. ‘”The average person does not understand just how deep the transplant journey is.” He continues, “They should come and listen to the stories here.” And Denise and Ken say they are happy that they found a place where they could go where everyone just gets it. “We’ve seen the good and the bad. Sat and chatted with people. Cried with people. Prayed with people.”
Denise and Ken feel that the House provides a service that no one else can—for the patient, the caregiver, and the whole family. The House gives them an opportunity to meet people in similar situations who understand them and what they were going through. The Caregiver Lifeline Program has been especially helpful for Ken, where he gets to participate in support groups led by Gift of Life Howie’s House’s licensed social worker. Ken finds these groups very comforting during the stressful transplant journey. Denise says she feels comfortable here too, “There’s always someone here, I never feel alone”. And when their son Ken Jr. came to visit over Thanksgiving break, Denise said it changed him forever. She said he was so impressed by the warmth and blown away by the support that he will never be able to forget his experience here.
The Fegleys have bright plans for their future together. They are looking forward to finally getting the opportunity to travel. The couple had originally planned to see the world after they both retired but when Denise got sick, they thought it would never be possible. But now, after receiving the gift of life, the two plan to travel and enjoy some stress-free time together. Their dream trip would be to go to the South Pacific! Denise and Ken also look forward to becoming grandparents. They want to give back to the Howie’s House in whatever way they can, but especially through the Home Cook Heroes program. “The one thing we can do is cook.”
Nicki Loshnowsky never anticipated having to designate her five-year-old son, Collin, as an organ donor. And yet, in November 2004, the Loshnowsky family faced a heart-wrenching decision after Collin was struck by a car and suffered severe head trauma. With their world flipped upside down, the Loshnowsky’s found some light in a tragic situation by choosing donation, and subsequently saving five different lives by donating Collin’s intestine, two kidneys, liver and heart – true gifts of life. Through the Loshnowsky’s active involvement with Gift of Life Donor Program and Gift of Life Howie’s House, they have found means to heal, as well as to celebrate Collin’s wonderful life, all the while promoting the incredible impacts of organ donation.
Over the last 10 years, the Loshnowsky family has been involved in a number of Gift of Life initiatives in Collin’s memory. At the Transplant Games of America, an Olympic-style athletic competition for transplant recipients, organ donors and donor families, the Loshnowsky family has been an integral member of Team Philadelphia as honoring their son and connecting with other families who have found themselves on the same side of transplantation. At the Dash for Organ and Tissue Donation, the family bans together as team “Captivated by Collin’s Smile” to demonstrate, through strength in numbers, how organ donation saves lives. The Loshnowsky family will always remember Collin’s infectious smile and his wonderful “belly laugh.”
This past November was Collin’s 10th “Angelversary”, and the Loshnowsky family chose to honor his life by inspiring individuals to perform ten random acts of kindness. Doing their own part, the Loshnowsky family has made it their fervent goal to participate in the Howie’s House Home Cook Heroes program 10 times by the end of 2014, preparing meals for the Howie’s House transplant patients and their families. It is through this program that they are able to share experiences and stories with the guests – what Nicki always looks forward to most. The Loshnowsky’s Home Cook Hero meal on December 2nd will be an extra special dinner in honor of Collin’s 16th birthday.
The support provided by the Loshnowsky family never ceases to amaze us, as they have also hosted successful Wish List Drives in memory of Collin to further support the Howie’s House mission. While Collin cannot be here today, his name and memory will forever be honored through the family’s dedication to Gift of Life.
To learn more about how you can participate in Collin’s 10th “Angelversary”, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/529946973806475/. And don’t forget to share Collin’s story this holiday season as you partake in your own random acts of kindness – just use the hashtag “#cjl10years” when posting on your social media pages.
“We fell in love with the Gift of Life Howie’s House early on,” says Jim Carns, lung transplant recipient. “As a patient, it helped me get a better understanding that I was not alone, that there are other people who are going through the same thing as I am.”
When Jim and Karen Carns first made the trip from their Harrisburg home to Philadelphia in preparation for the lung transplant Jim desperately needed, they had many worries on their mind. But there was one thing they did not have to worry about — where to stay. They arrived at Gift of Life Howie’s House to find a warm and welcoming “home away from home” where their every need was met. As Karen states, “From the time we first went there, we felt very welcomed by the staff. They knew it was stressful to us coming there, with what we were facing. And it was comforting for Jim to know that I was in a safe environment.”
The Carns were among the more than 450 families going through the organ transplant process who stayed with us last year. The number of families we serve continues to climb as more families are referred to us from transplant programs throughout Greater Philadelphia.
Jim describes the Gift of Life Howie’s House as a “God-send.” Jim and Karen now stay with us when they come to Philadelphia every few months for doctor visits. In gratitude for their experiences at the House, they have become members of our Family Circle with a generous contribution of their own in order to support our daily operations.
Jim and Karen, both retired, are now busy visiting with their four children and eight grandchildren across the country, and resuming their involvement in their church and local community. They recently enjoyed a cruise to Alaska that would not have been possible just a short time ago. Both are deeply committed to finding a cure for pulmonary fibrosis, the disease that led to Jim’s lung transplant, and to helping Gift of Life Howie’s House serve other transplant families in need. Explains Jim, “The House is a facility that we hope most people won’t need to seek out, but it’s important for people to know that it’s there if they need it.”
The transplant journey affects those of all ages, and for Tatiana and Steve Orellana, their daughter’s transplant journey began at birth. Leiya Orellana is a bright-eyed 26-month-year-old baby who was diagnosed with Pulmonary Vein Stenosis at Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP). On December 5, 2012, Leiya was listed for a double-lung transplant. For the Tatiana and Steve, finding a pediatric lung for Leiya was a great cause of concern and distress, as they were not finding similar stories to their daughter. Fortunately, Leiya received a double-lung transplant and was discharged from the hospital on September 4, 2013- finally home-bound from a place Leiya has known since birth.
Throughout Leiya’s journey, Tatiana and her husband resided at the Gift of Life Howie’s House. As New Jersey natives, the close proximity to the Children’s Hospital from the Gift of Life Howie’s House was one less burden for the family. The Orellanas were able to sleep comfortably at the House and wake up well-rested for their long day at the hospital. During their stay, Tatiana was especially grateful for the level of understanding each House guest shared, as each of them are navigating through the transplant process.
“You go there and everyone understands. It is very comforting” Tatiana explains.
Throughout this process, there were moments when the Orellanas felt lost and confused, however, with a courageous spirit and support from the House, they were able to persevere and see their wishes come true.
Tatiana and Steve are happy to report that Leiya is doing better than ever! She is no longer reliant on a ventilator, and will hopefully have her tracheostomy removed soon. While she has had a developmental delay, Leiya is thriving as she is cognitively “caught up.” Through her various physical therapy sessions, Leiya is learning to physically advance and will be walking in no time. For the Orellana family, things are looking up every day. “It feels good to be on the other side of the transplant journey” Tatiana expresses. While this process was a bumpy road for the Orellanas, Leiya’s journey has been a life-changing experience. “Our baby teaches us about life everyday” Tatiana says- and what a precious gift that is.
Moving forward, they are excited to provide a helping hand to the Gift of Life Howie’s House transplant patients and families, as they understand the degree of stress this journey can entail. Specifically, the Orellanas hope to be Home Cook Heroes, a program where volunteer groups cook meals for the House guests each night, as that was an invaluable asset for the Orellanas when they were guests themselves. As a “home away from home” for transplant patients and caregivers, the Gift of Life Howie’s House always strives to provide our families with optimal care and comfort. While this process can be filled with uncertainty, the Orellana family demonstrates that there is success through the transplantation process, and the Gift of Life Howie’s House will always be there to provide comfort and support.
It is never too early to start volunteering in your community, and young Faria Rehman is a perfect example of that. Faria is a 10th grade student at Friends’ Central School and native of Villanova, PA. This past June, Faria led her student group “Team Wave” to support the Gift of Life Howie’s House by raising an incredible $1,400 to benefit our Adopt-A-Family Program. This program helps cover the cost of lodging for guests who are unable to pay the $40 nightly fee, and also helps offset the difference between what guests are asked to pay and actual operating costs of $160 to house a family for one night. It is only through the support of community efforts, like that of Faria Rehman and Team Wave, that the Gift of Life Howie’s House is able to stand by our commitment to never turn an individual away – regardless of their ability to pay.
Team Wave was born from Spark the Wave, an organization that empowers teens to channel their creative minds and produce a service project for a nonprofit of their choice. Thousands of students throughout the country band together to support a cause they believe in, and lucky for us, Faria and her team found Gift of Life Howie’s House.
18 years ago, Faria’s older sister, Sabrina, received a liver transplant at a local children’s hospital. As a family member of a transplant recipient, Faria was able to motivate her team through her personal connection to our mission. Faria has also attended the annual Dash for Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness, an event that continues to demonstrate the incredible community support for spreading awareness about the importance of organ donation.
Faria fostered an even deeper connection to transplant patients and families by visiting Gift of Life Howie’s House this past June. “I can’t believe that something that started so small could help families in such a major way,” Faria stated. After receiving a tour of our facility, Faria exclaimed that she is excited to continue supporting the House and already has plans to start her next project, especially now that she has seen the direct impact her contributions have made.
Gift of Life Howie’s House is excited to see what Faria is planning next to further support our mission. As a model leader for teens, and those of all ages, let Faria’s story serve as an inspiration and organize a fundraiser yourself! The Gift of Life Howie’s House is now an official partner of Crowdrise – an online platform that makes fundraising simple, accessible and fun! For fundraising ideas, click here and get involved today to help support the courageous transplant patients and families who stay at Gift of Life Howie’s House!
A big THANK YOU again to Faria and Team Wave for your inspirational support of the Gift of Life Howie’s House!
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