Faces of Howie’s House Stories
Following the birth of her son, Martha Gonzalez found herself experiencing a journey she never anticipated – the transplant journey. Martha’s 8-year-old son, Daniel Torres, needed a liver transplant at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP) when he was only a few months old. While his transplant was a success, the transplant journey does not end there. This past year, the Gonzalez family wanted to find an available and accessible place to stay for Daniels hospital visits, and as a resident of New Jersey, Martha was concerned about the long trips to the hospital. Between medical bills and hotel stays, this was not looking to be a low-budget process by any means. And then she found Gift of Life Howie’s House – an affordable alternative offering supportive services to help her navigate the transplant journey.
Unlike an ordinary hotel, Gift of Life Howie’s House caters specifically to the needs of transplant patients and their families – mentally, physically and emotionally. With the complexities of the transplant process, Martha quickly realized this would not be a journey she could endure on her own, nor should she have to. She found solace through her immediate connection to the resident social worker and was an active participant in the support groups offered at the House. In these groups, connections are fostered between caregivers and transplant patients – as well as between other families facing similar transplant experiences – through open discussion and understanding. The Howie’s House social worker has an open-door policy where no voice or concern goes unheard. “She was a great listener and gave me a lot of tips on how to manage my stress” said Martha. From financial assistance to emotional support, Martha was able to comfortably settle into her “home away from home.”
To add to a caregiver’s list of woes, traveling with children can also be a cause of stress. Yet, after given a tour, Martha’s two children found an instant source of joy through the Howie’s House playroom, which is equipped with a Foosball table, a TV, a plethora of DVDs and videogames, and various children’s toys and board games. Martha remarked that the children felt like they were on vacation with all the amenities offered. Martha graciously accepted the extra perks that the Howie’s House offered, especially when it came to the home-cooked meals. For families navigating the transplant process, cooking dinner after a long and tiring day at the hospital is often the last thing on their minds. With the Home Cook Heroes program, where dinner is served by community volunteers every night at 6:00 pm, along with a fully stocked pantry of donated goods – including foods that catered to her son’s allergies – Martha never had to worry about figuring out where to get a bite to eat in Philadelphia. “And if we didn’t make it to dinner, there were always leftovers” Martha explained.
Each day my family was welcomed by a wonderful team of volunteers, a social worker who was available at any given time, an exceptional staff, and a President with a huge heart who spends time and shares moments with the families during his visits to the House.
In short, Gift of Life was our home for 4 months, providing support to my family during such a difficult time. We have no way to repay all the love and compassion, all the services that we received in this wonderful place. Today I can say that this house provides everything a family might need in such a difficult time as the one we went through.
Having had such a positive experience during their initial stay at the Howie’s House, the Gonzalez family returned for Daniel’s follow-up appointments at CHOP. While the transplant surgery itself was behind them, there was still the recovery process, which for some can often drag on and be as daunting as the surgery itself. In the emotional roller coaster that is the transplant journey, Martha will be the first to stress the importance of community support. Volunteers and contributors are the backbone of Gift of Life Howie’s House, where individuals like Martha and her family are able to feel safe, cared for, and understood. From the volunteers who cook meals, drive the Howie’s House shuttles, restock the pantry and organize fundraising events, to Howie’s House contributors and the members of our Family Circle and Founders’ Circle, there is not a single effort or gift that goes unnoticed or taken for granted. It is because of the support of the community that we can provide a “home away from home” to families like the Gonzalez family. When we touched base with Martha last week, she remarked, “Daniel is doing great… and he is healthy.”
Click here to read more from the transplant patients and families at Gift of Life Howie’s House!
April is National Donate Life Month! To celebrate this month and to help spread the importance of organ and tissue donation we would like to share an incredible story from past guest, Maribel Rodriguez.
Last May, Maribel and Angel Rodriguez, along with their two sons, Queniel and Kenneth, left their home in Puerto Rico and came to Philadelphia so that Kenneth could receive transplant care at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Read more about their transplant journey and sign up to be an organ donor today!
“It was the 5th of August in 2011 when he came into our lives: Kenneth. After just one day, we knew we were the parents of a special boy. As days went by, we discovered that Kenneth had liver disease, but we didn’t yet understand the extent of his illness or how it might impact his future.
When Kenneth was just 9 months old, his blood samples were sent to Cincinnati, and it was then that we discovered that Kenneth suffered from Alagille syndrome. The sickness was affecting several of his organs and causing pain in his bile ducts. His Bilirubin levels were rising quickly, which was affecting his liver.
The fight continued and on April 16, 2013, we found out that our baby needed a liver transplant, much sooner than we had anticipated. While weighing all of our options, a door opened: at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia there existed a team of doctors specializing in Alagille Syndrome, with the highest rates of successful liver transplants for children in the entire nation.
We made the decision to travel here, with the help of God. The question was, where would we stay? We knew no one in Philadelphia, we didn’t have money, and we both had to leave our jobs, our home, our car… But, with faith, we decided to go with what we didn’t know, what we couldn’t see.
It was then, on a day when I was desperately searching for information on the internet that we came across Gift of Life Howie’s House. I called and they immediately came to our aid, reaching out to volunteers who spoke Spanish so that we could communicate effectively.
Then, on May 25, 2013, we arrived at this beautiful home, a huge blessing for families in difficult situations like the one my family and I were in, welcoming us with love and dedication, the House surpassed my expectations.
The Howie’s House provided us with meals, much of which were prepared by volunteers and company groups, with dinner every night at 6:00 PM for all of the families. You have no idea what a blessing it is to be able to come back after a long day in the hospital and receive these home-cooked meals. The House also provided the House transportation to our appointments, a toy room for our kids which was the most fun thing for them, a laundry room to be able to wash our clothes, a Serenity Room to be close to God, a pantry full of food for those families who want to prepare their own meals.
Each day my family was welcomed by a wonderful team of volunteers, a social worker who was available at any given time, an exceptional staff, and a President with a huge heart who spends time and shares moments with the families during his visits to the House.
In short, Gift of Life was our home for 4 months, providing support to my family during such a difficult time. We have no way to repay all the love and compassion, all the services that we received in this wonderful place. Today I can say that this house provides everything a family might need in such a difficult time as the one we went through.
On December 15, 2013, the phone rang! We never could have imagined that this would be the big day! The day that we had been waiting for ever since Kenneth was born. An organ had arrived, a perfect match for Kenneth, and he would receive his transplant. After 10 hours of waiting as the doctors evaluated everything, Kenneth went into the operating room and received his transplant.
It was this day that our son was re-born. No more bone fractures, no more yellow skin or eyes, no more itching; our son could sleep in peace. Our son was healthy! A day that, with faith, we always knew would come. Thank god!” -Maribel Rodriguez
News & Events
Stay Connected
Sign up to receive email updates featuring transplant stories of hope and ways you can get involved with the Howie's House.
"*" indicates required fields
