Wishing you Peace, Love, and Hope

Manuel spent the first 10 weeks of his life in the hospital and at Family House. This 5-lb miracle baby was born with leukemia, and at only six days old, he underwent heart surgery to close a hole in his heart. This was followed by chemotherapy to treat his cancer. The day after this photo was taken, his parents, Patty & Rosendo, would bring him home for the first time.

Please donate today so that parents like Patty and Rosendo can focus on what matters most - their baby's health:  https://familyhouse.ejoinme.org/holidaymiracles

Happy Holidays from Family House

Happy Holidays from all of us at Family House!

Joy Littlesunday & Holiday Wishes

Joy has seen all of her first year milestones at Family House—first Christmas, first steps, first birthday.

Joy Littlesunday was just 3 weeks old when she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease (SCID) that runs in Native American populations.

Rushed to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital from Cameron, Arizona and less than two months old, Joy had a successful Bone Marrow Transplant. Over the past year and a half as baby Joy continues her treatment and recovery, Joy and her mother, Tina, have been staying at Family House. Separated by miles but not by love and support, Joy’s father Jarvison and siblings make the trip as often as possible.
 
 “Without Family House, I don’t know what we would be doing.  We miss home and being a whole family. Luckily, Family House has provided us the comfort and care to help us get through these challenging times. Family House has helped my daughter celebrate the truly precious child that she is.” - Tina Littlesunday

Help families like Joy's experience all the comforts of the holidays at their home away from home, Family House: Donate today! http://www.familyhouseinc.org/holidaywishes

University of San Francisco Volunteers

Love this new University of San Francisco video featuring Family House CEO (and USF Alum) Alexandra Morgan:

Read the full article here: http://www.usfca.edu/Newsroom/Equipped_to_Lead_and_Succeed/Alumna_is_Chief_Executive_in_the_Fight_Against_Cancer/

Time Lapse Construction of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House

Check out this fun time lapse video of the start of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House at Mission Bay! We broke ground on September 17, 2014, and will open our doors to 80 families per night in January, 2016! Read more about the project here: http://www.familyhouseinc.org/mission-bay.html

UCSF Mission Bay Day in the Life Simulation

I don’t think anyone has ever had this much fun in a hospital!

To help the doctors, nurses, and support staff get ready for the opening of the new UCSF Hospitals at Mission Bay, last week was the first of several “Day in the Life” simulations, where volunteers came together as patients and family members in real-life scenarios.  Family House staffers (and about 30 other volunteers) got to check out the new hospital, be pretend patients and parents, work with our partners at Child Life, and even got to see the helicopter (Bear Force One) take off from the helipad. We’re so excited about all the ways that this new facility is going to be able to serve thousands of Family House families every year!

Click here to read about the new Nancy & Stephen Grand Family House that is currently under construction, just blocks from the new UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital at Mission Bay:  http://www.familyhouseinc.org/mission-bay.html

Staff Spotlight: Susan Neff

How did you come to be at Family House?

In 2006, I was introduced to Family House by a Kathleen Toney, who was Board Chair at the time. I knew her as a friend and from community relations at our church in San Rafael - St. Raphael’s Church. Alexandra, the Family House CEO, had expressed desire to hire a development person for Family House. Kathleen directed Alexandra to my work at St. Raphael’s, where I was their Development Director. Alexandra and I met each other at Kathleen’s home and hit it off perfectly! We have a lot in common which then led to my working at Family House starting in July of 2006.

How has Family House changed since you first started?

Family House has grown—exponentially. In 2006, we only had one Volunteer Coordinator - part-time - and we didn’t have much of a database. We started with Donor Perfect (our old database program) soon after I joined the Family House team. We had no website, no Facebook following, and we just had the one small room for the three of us in the business office. We had about five people on staff and now we have more than doubled in size. Our database, donors, and families served has quadrupled in numbers; our general operating budget has expanded from under one million to [when we get to Mission Bay] 2.5 million. Our endowment has developed from 1.3 million to now over 5 million dollars.

What are some of your favorite Family House memories?

One of my favorite memories is when we used to all be in the small office, and one of the families staying here had a set of twin girls and a boy, and the kids would get so bored they would come down to the office and help us file. We were so behind on our filing that the kids would come help us, but in order to file, you have to know the alphabet! Since that was a little difficult for them, I made a poster for the kids to use as a reference, and it was so adorable. This particular family was here for months and it was just precious that the kids came down to the office to help us. My favorite administration memories come from kids who are staying with us coming down and hanging out with us in the office. 

 Contact Susan at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/staff.html

Architects Meeting

As the structure of the new Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House is now finalized, the architects are up to the interior design, including colors, materials, and furniture. Family House staff were able to meet with Richard Stacy of Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects for input on design elements and to talk through some materials decisions (which flooring is better in kitchens versus bathrooms, etc.) which have already been made. So exciting that it’s all coming together!

Read the latest on the Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/mission-bay.html

Update! How I Got Involved with Family House by Erika Shue

What sorts of Family House activities have you been involved with since you started volunteering here?
When I first started volunteering at Family House in November 2011, I had a weekly volunteer shift on Friday mornings.  I did a lot of checklists - making sure the families on every floor had what they need (toilet paper, laundry detergent, food label stickers, etc.)  I joined the Family House Young Professionals Advisory Council when my schedule no longer allowed for a weekly volunteer shift.  As a YPAC member, I helped put together family activity nights.  The YPAC Family Activity Nights included snacks and a seasonal craft.

Are there any events/experiences that stand out for you?
One of my favorite experiences at Family House was making valentines at the February YPAC Family Activity Night.  This is a special memory for me because my friend, Steven, and his family joined us.  Steven is the reason why I started volunteering with Family House - while he was receiving treatment at UCSF, his family stayed at Family House.  It was wonderful to not only see my friend healthy, but also see him and his family providing peer support to the families.

What do you like best about being involved with YPAC?
The people - YPAC members, Family House staff, volunteers, and the families. I feel very lucky to be around such wonderful people.

What's coming up next for YPAC, and what is the long-term future of YPAC as you see it?
YPAC's 2nd Annual Shipwrecked on the Barbary Coast was a few weeks ago, on September 21st - what a great night!

I am so excited to see what the future holds for YPAC, especially once Family House moves to Mission Bay.  Shipwrecked is sure to continue to be one of YPAC's main events.  In addition, I hope to see YPAC have move direct involvement in the House.

Camp Okizu offers summer-camp experiences for kids with cancer and their families. Some Family House families have had life-changing experiences at Okizu.  How did you get involved with them?
There was a summer camp job fair in the Student Union at Sacramento State University.  Since I got out of class early and had a few extra minutes before meeting my friends, I thought, "Why not check it out?"  I was just about to leave when I met Grams and Mold (we have camp names at Okizu - mine is Pumpkin).  I can't remember exactly what they told me about camp, but I remember walking away thinking "I want to be a part of that!"  Okizu wasn't something I actively sought out.  I just happened to be at the right place, at the right time, and I am so thankful for that.

What was a favorite experience/memory at Camp Okizu?
Baseball lunch is my favorite camp event.  We eat hot dogs, dress up in our favorite baseball gear, and dance to music.  I usually like to dance, but one summer I skipped out on the dancing to sit with a couple of kids who didn't feel like dancing.  It was wonderful watching everyone dance.  They were all having so much fun; you would never know that they were affected by childhood cancer.

Have you ever met any Family House kids/families there?
This summer I met a camper who stayed at Family House.  Hearing how highly he spoke of Family House made me feel proud to be a Family House volunteer.

To learn more about volunteering with Family House, or about our Young Professionals Advisory Council, click here: http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

To learn more about Camp Okizu, click here: http://www.okizu.org/

Groundbreaking of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House

What an auspicious day! Thank you to everyone who helped make the Groundbreaking of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House possible!

Thank you to Nancy and Stephen Grand and all of the donors who have contributed to the Capital Campaign! Thank you to our Board Members for your endless support! Thank you to all of the families in attendance and those who we have served, and will continue to serve! Thank you to the Mayor of San Francisco, Ed Lee, Supervisor Jane Kim, and everyone from the city who led us to this important day! Thank you to Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White and Chief of Police Greg Suhr for being present and for all of your support! Thank you to the Archbishop Riordan High School Marching Band and the San Francisco Police Mounted Unit for setting the wonderful celebratory atmosphere! Thank you to all of the volunteers, to everyone from our building team (Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects, Nibbi Brothers General Contractors, Cambridge Construction Management, Mission Bay Development Group, Goldfarb and Lipman, Susan Diamond, Platinum Advisors, Northern Trust, Equity Community Builders, Capital One Commercial Banking, Northern California Community Loan Fund, Marshall Lamm, Novogradac, Building Blox), and to everyone from the community who could come to Mission Bay and help us celebrate this momentous occasion!

You can still contribute to the Capital Campaign: https://familyhouseinc.ejoinme.org/

View all of the photos of the Groundbreaking: https://www.facebook.com/FamilyHouseSanFrancisco

Click here to read the latest on the Nancy & Stephen Grand Family House: http://www.familyhouseinc.org/mission-bay.html

Family House in the Business Times

Did you see the Family House supplement in the San Francisco Business Times?

It outlines the past and future of Family House, including our move to Mission Bay. Check it out:

http://www.familyhouseinc.org/images/press/san-francisco-business-times-supplement-september-2014.pdf

Founder to Founder, by Arthur Ablin, M.D., December 2012

Sit down with me for a few minutes and become moved as I have by this touching yet uplifting story about one of our Family House’s remarkable and resilient patients and his loving, supportive family.

Austin Young, now 18 years old was stricken (yes, that’s the word) at 6 months of age with a cancer of the retinas of both his eyes. The stage of his cancer, a retinoblastoma, was such that without treatment he would certainly have rapidly become blind and died as a young child. Infant Austin and his family were presented with devastating alternative choices for treatment: One was the immediate removal of both eyes with instant blindness; The other option available was radiation therapy to both of his infant eyes with only a hope, not a promise, that his life could be saved with a slight possibility that some modicum of vision might be retained. The price for this latter choice would be cataracts in both eyes with obvious facial changes as the rest of his face and head grew. If that were not overwhelming by itself, survivors of retinblastoma of both eyes have a high life-long chance of developing other cancers later increased by the very radiation therapy used to treat the original retinoblastoma. Those second cancers are difficult to treat and may or may not be curable.

Imagine with me the stresses associated with decision making this family was going through. No good choices, only bad or worse ones. How can anyone be asked to make them? It doesn’t seem fair to ask any parent to make these decisions for their child. Exacting daily radiation therapy in the UCSF Department of Radiation Oncology for several weeks requiring motionless eyes and therefore, daily anesthesia for several weeks was their least horrendous treatment choice. The family stayed at Family House during these many weeks of radiation and the monthly follow up visits for many years. During that time and the innumerable check-up examinations required, Austin, his parents and sister, Bonnie, David, and Lauren called Family House home. They survived and Austin adjusted, even excelled with remarkable strength of character in spite of his impaired vision and physical disability.

Now 18 years later, 6 foot delightful Austin is blind in his left eye and has 20/200 vision in his right eye (sees at 20 feet what a person with normal vision can see at 200 feet). He has under growth of the mid portion of his face making him easily distinguishable among his peers, an appearance with which he has become comfortable because of his engaging, pleasant smile, a twinkle in his poorly sighted eyes and his quiet demeanor. If that were not enough, more of the medical story continues. At age 16, 2 years ago, cured from his retinoblastoma, a popular, productive and bright sophomore in Bella Vista high school dealing successfully with his visual and physical disabilities, Austin and his family discovered a rapidly growing lump in his left upper neck. Austin had developed a different, second cancer at the left side of his face. It required a meticulous 16 hour operation, then months of chemotherapy with further radiation therapy. Long stays in at UCSF and at Family House were then again required with the hope this second cancer had been cured. Unfortunately, less than a year later there is a recurrence of his rhabdomyosarcoma. Austin and his family are guests again at Family House while he is receiving yet another course of alternative chemotherapy and cyber knife radiation surgery. Austin and his family know the outcome of this treatment is questionable but face this with realistic optimism, humor and characteristic determination.

In spite of missing many days and weeks of school Austin managed to keep up with his class work, and recently graduated from high school and has been accepted to start U.C. Davis. High intensive chemotherapy and radiation therapy require that he defers Davis now. Austin recognizes the important role Family House has been for him and his family, both in the support with other families over the years and the high cost that would have resulted in finding accommodations in San Francisco. To express appreciation to Family House for all that he and his family received, Austin, whose goal in life is to become a computer engineer, created a social event called “Gaming 4 a Cause” to support Family House. He elicited support from classmates and with his and their parents established a non-profit charity of which he is the president. His 17 and 18 year old classmates are the vice-president, financial officer, treasurer and publicity director, and secretary. This team has acquired the necessary hardware through contributions and careful purchasing , arranged rent-free space at Fuddrucker’s World’s Greatest Hamburger restaurant outside of Sacramento where they hold week-end events charging small entrance fees. Participants form teams which compete to win electronic prizes such as controllers, mice and software. During the past several months attendance has steadily grown and the profits for an evening of spirited fun and clean sociability have been as high as $1600. The restaurant is glad to have them! As the popularity increases and all the details of his enterprise are further fine-tuned, Austin and his sister Lauren are spreading the word and know how of Gaming 4 a Cause to other schools hoping to multiply the profits for Family House. A quiet smile creeps over his face, his poorly sighted eyes twinkle and he softly says “It’s for Family House.” Go Austin! Go Youngs! Go Family House! We are here for each other and all other thousands of children and their families that are called Family House.

July 2013 UPDATE: Austin has finished chemotherapy and radiation, and is headed to UC Davis this fall.  Keep an eye on Gaming 4 a Cause happenings at www.gaming4acause.org

Click here to learn more about Family House families:
http://www.familyhouseinc.org/family-stories.html 

In Memory Of

It's a sad fact of Family House life that sometimes young patients at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital don't get better.

We love to share the inspiring stories of patients and families who live through the struggle of a life with cancer or another life-threatening illness, so you can see the important work that we do. We want you to share in the triumphs of the amazing families we serve, and learn to share their strength with others in your life.

Every time one of our children passes away, it affects all of us. When the families come here, they are often here for so long that Family House truly becomes their home.  It's common to hear longtime families speak of "my kitchen" or "my room," even though they haven't slept here in years. Family House and San Francisco become as much a home to each of those people as to the staff and volunteers who spend countless hours at 50 Irving Street and 1234 10th Avenue.

We have photos of kids and families in every conceivable space here, and yet, there are other surprising little reminders that come up all the time: a construction paper card written in crayon, found in a file drawer; origami pumpkins found in a bin of event supplies in the garage; a hand-made bracelet from last year's Valentine's Day party hidden in a box of rubber bands.

One of the most special ways that we are reminded of a child who is no longer with us is when we receive "in memory of" gifts. These donations are often small amounts of money given by a friend of the family, a member of the family's church or school, or someone who perhaps never had the blessing of knowing the child, but heard through a friend of a friend that Family House helped them when they needed it most. The staff is always touched when we receive an "in memory of" donation, because they are reminders that though the family has moved back home, that child will never be forgotten. And through the generosity of the community that child has left behind, Family House is able to continue our mission of helping other families through what may be the hardest experience of their lives.

Click here to learn more about Family House families:
http://www.familyhouseinc.org/family-stories.html 

Madi's Story

Almost two years ago, our beautiful, 5 year-old daughter, Madison, was diagnosed with leukemia. The news hit us like a bomb, but fortunately, we were sent to UCSF Children's Hospital from our home town of Redding, California - a good 4 hour drive away. Today, the prognosis for Madison is very good - she's in remission, and returns to UCSF periodically for check-ups.

I was glad to be asked my story for this article, because I want everyone to know how important Family House has been to us throughout treatment. Frankly, I don't know what we would've done without it. They were a light in our darkest hour- they were there, ready to be a home for us, even though we didn't know what we'd need. We feel lucky to be part of the Family House community.

Family House is the only reason that Madison had anything to open on Christmas last year. She was released on Christmas Eve morning after being in-patient for 48 days. My husband and I could not have cared less about Christmas, let alone gifts or a tree. Paul Goold, the Family House Director of Operations, called me at the hospital the morning we were discharged to tell me that there was a big box of wrapped Christmas gifts for Madi and her step-brothers to take home with us. It was simply unbelievable, and meant everything to our children and to us.

I hope that those of you who donate to Family House know that the families on the receiving end are real people. A sudden, life changing diagnosis can happen to anyone at any time, and you're never prepared. When you find yourself on the receiving end of the services Family House provides - an
instant community of support, a free and safe place to live, food and friendship - you don't know how you got so lucky, because your lives were turned upside down before you know it. For two years, our family struggled with all sorts of basic costs to get back and forth to the hospital-last year alone we spent $32,000 in gas, tolls, parking and minimal food purchases to get back and forth to San Francisco. It just about put us over the edge. We never thought something like this would happen to us or to our beautiful girl.

There are still families that sleep in the corridors of the hospital, in a chair, on a window ledge, or in my case, in my daughter's hospital bed with her curled up next to me. It saddens me that Family House has to turn people away because there aren't enough rooms. I hope that can change.


You can't imagine what a family is going through when they have to be in the hospital 24 hours per day-you ask yourself how many kids are at home with another family member; how the bills are going to be paid; can the family afford food while their child is in -patient for months; or has their house been repossess because they cannot keep up with the mortgage along with everything else.

Today, we no longer take every day or even every minute for granted. I will never lose sight of what every family that walks through the doors of 7 Long (pediatric oncology floor) are going to endure. I know exactly what they are feeling and I want to help them by supporting Family House. I hope you'll join me.

- Elizabeth Wallers, December 2009

Click here to learn more about Family House families:
http://www.familyhouseinc.org/family-stories.html 

Calling All Angels - Thank You!

Thank you, #FHAngels! Together, we raised over $66K for the new Nancy & Stephen Grand Family House! You really stepped up to show your love for our little global community. Thank you!

Click here to learn more about Family House families:
http://www.familyhouseinc.org/family-stories.html

Seamus Berkeley: Portraits of Family House

What would Family House look like through the eyes of an artist?

Seamus Berkeley, a soft-spoken painter residing in Berkeley, has embarked upon a multi-year artistic endeavor entitled Portraits of Family House. The goal of the project is to capture the heart and soul of Family House by painting patients, families, staff, and volunteers. Family House is a nonprofit in San Francisco that offers free, temporary housing to families of children being treated at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Seamus first came to know Family House through Volunteer Coordinator Karen Banks. Though she was not yet a staff member, Karen said, "Let's talk about what I'm passionate about!" and told Seamus all about the organization and the families served. Instead of a straight donation, Seamus said, "I want to do something bigger, more meaningful."

"I thought it was a great project, and then I started meeting people, and it was way beyond what I ever imagined. When your world has just been pulled out from under you and you don't know what you're going to do next, I want to know 'What gets you through this?'  For example, the painting of Kelly and Devon - she's had a continuous series of difficulties in her life.  She said, 'Sometimes I feel like I'm in this darkness, and when I close my eyes, I call out, and see a white light.' So in the painting of her and Devon, you see that she is surrounded by a white light."

You might recognize the tender portrait of Kelly and Devon, recalling the Madonna and Child. The photograph that Seamus took for this painting was featured on the recent Family House Mother's Day card, along with a snippet of Kelly's story.  Devon is Kelly's miracle baby, and the loving bond between them is captured in Seamus' art.

Among the faces of the Portraits of Family House, you will see a large-as-life portrait of Dr. Arthur Ablin and his wife, Debbie Ablin, set in the back yard of their North Bay home.  Together with the help of other pediatric oncologists at UCSF, the Ablins founded Family House in 1981. The portrait now hangs proudly in the living room at 50 Irving Street.  It is important to tell the story not just of the patients and families, because Family House is a community of people giving and sharing and celebrating life together.

"I have three children, all adults and grown up now.  We didn't have any medical traumas like the families here are going through… but having had some experience of a traumatic event, and knowing how disconcerting that can be…" Seamus trailed off, but continued, "Everyone here is helping other people manage and get through their trauma."

It is fitting that Karen be a subject in this series, and hers is the latest portrait completed.  "There is always the challenge of how to paint anyone; every painting is a new thing."  When pressed to describe the process of this particular project, following decades of experience with portrait work, Seamus smiles, "Honestly, I think it's some of my best work."

To learn more of the Portraits of Family House project, click here: http://seamusberkeley.com

To make a donation to the project, visit: http://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/fiscal/profile?id=6255

You can also follow Seamus on Facebook to get the latest updates: http://www.facebook.com/PortraitsOfFamilyHouse

To learn more about Family House, please visit: http://www.familyhouseinc.org

Calling All Angels: The Future Nancy & Stephen Grand Family House

Family House Board Chair shows off the future site of the new Nancy & Stephen Grand Family House at Mission Bay:

You can still contribute to the campaign and help us meet our goal!  http://indiegogo.com/projects/calling-all-angels

Thank you for all of your support to help make this new building a reality! Together, we can build it and ensure that all families have a place to stay while their child is undergoing life-saving treatment in San Francisco!

Calling All Angels Update

Family House CEO Alexandra Morgan gives an update on the Calling All Angels crowdfunding campaign at http://indiegogo.com/projects/calling-all-angels

Our first Mission Bay success!

Our first Mission Bay success!  Thanks to the overwhelming response of letters in support of the new Family House at Mission Bay, we are happy to report the Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency has approved our petition to move forward with land acquisition.  We still face several more Committees before the land is officially ours, and we appreciate your ongoing support and love!

Read the latest about the Nancy & Stephen Grand Family House at Mission Bay: http://www.familyhouseinc.org/mission-bay.html

Nancy & Stephen Grand Family House - Architect Plans

You’ve heard a lot of talk about the new Nancy & Stephen Grand Family House at Mission Bay, but have you seen the plans yet?

Here are some photos of the architect’s 3D model, as well as the latest architectural drawings for the new house.

The new building will have 80 bedrooms: floors 2-5 will each serve 20 families per night, split into 2 “neighborhoods.”  Each “neighborhood” will have its own living, dining, cooking, and laundry space.  There are several bedroom sizes, dependent on the size of the family staying, and all bedrooms will have en-suite bathrooms!  We are very excited about the private, outdoor courtyard on the second floor, as well as the exercise room and teen rooms, and the parking lot on the ground floor.

We’ll be just a few blocks from the new UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, and we can’t wait to open our doors!

If you haven’t yet donated to our Capital Campaign, please consider making a gift through our Calling All Angels campaign page at http://indiegogo.com/projects/calling-all-angels

Read the latest about the Nancy & Stephen Grand Family House at Mission Bay: http://www.familyhouseinc.org/mission-bay.html