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

Giving Changes Lives

Below is the text of a letter we received from a donor who is participating in the Family House "Adopt a Family" or "Secret Santa" program. It's so wonderful to hear from a family that demonstrates how giving can make such a huge impact:

Hello Amy,

Thank you for allowing our family to take part in the Family House Secret Santa. Family House took such great care of our family while Natalia was undergoing treatment at UCSF from April 2008 – March 2009. I will never forget being emergency airlifted to UCSF just before Christmas 2008. Natalia was released from the hospital the afternoon of Christmas Eve and was allowed to return home for Christmas. When we arrived back in San Francisco 2 weeks later for another hospital stay, Paul delivered presents that Santa left for Natalia and our youngest daughter Sophia. It truly filled them with the wonder of Christmas. No matter what stress our family had go through, knowing we had a place to stay where people cared tremendously was always a comfort.

I hope that we can help bring a smile to another family. Merry Christmas!

Best Wishes,
Roni V

For information on the Secret Santa program, please contact Karen Banks at kbanks@familyhouseinc.org or (415) 514-6663

Click here to read the details about the Family House Secret Santa program: http://www.familyhouseinc.org/events.html#communityevents

Jarren Fogle's Inspiring Story

It only takes about ten seconds with Jarren Fogle to see that nothing— including his diagnosis with medulloblastoma— will slow him down.  Diagnosed earlier this summer at age two, Jarren started his treatment with surgery and three rounds of chemo in Madera.  But when a stem cell transplant and high-dose chemo were needed, he was transferred to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital to finish his treatment.

Jarren is a bundle of energy, with an infectious smile that he hides behind his hands during a lively game of "peek-a-boo".  He snuggles up to his mom, Danielle, on a cozy chair in the Family House living room.  When asked about their time in the house, Danielle lights up.  After being secluded for three months in a hospital room in Madera, she was nervous to move into a house with other families.  But her worries were relieved once she arrived.  "It's a blessing to have the security, knowing that you have somewhere to stay when you're going through tough times like this."

Danielle instantly noticed a difference in her son once his tumor was removed— he began reciting his numbers and colors, even naming shapes that Danielle swears she never taught him!  These days, he’s got plenty to talk about, including all the details of his third birthday.  Jarren celebrated at Family House on November 14th, complete with a Mickey Mouse cake and a visit from his dad and grandma.  Next week, Jarren and Danielle hope to take a road trip to celebrate Thanksgiving at the home of another family who were living at Family House when they moved in.

Today, all traces of his tumor are gone.  And although he has a few more months of treatment, Danielle sees the light at the end of the tunnel and looks forward to her next chapter with a happy, healthy son.  “Most people never meet their hero,” she says, “but I gave birth to mine.”

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

Family House Family Stories: Faye's Story

What do you do when your 2-month old becomes seriously ill? Yifan and Kip Baumann were faced with this terrible question in 2009 when their little girl started to show symptoms of liver failure.

"Faye was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia (BA) at the age of two months. BA is a rare, life-threatening liver disease, and there is no hospital to treat her disease in the Sacramento area where we live," recalls Faye's mother, Yifan. Faye was taken by ambulance to San Francisco for surgery and treatment at the UCSF Children's Hospital on July 31, 2009. Though the surgery was successful, afterwards, Faye suffered three separate bouts of Cholangitis, a life-threatening infection of the bile duct system, and the family found themselves in and out of San Francisco for treatment at UCSF over the course of many months.

 "Kip and I were both exhausted by that time, so Faye's grandparents came to help. They lived in the Family House for about 2 weeks and cared for Faye during the day. We greatly appreciate the help from the Family House during our most difficult time!"

Three years have passed since the Baumann family were regulars at UCSF and Family House. There is now a new face in the family, Faye's healthy baby brother, Kai.  Faye can never be "cured" of BA - it is a disease that will be with her for life. Unless science can discover a way to stop the progression of the disease, a liver transplant may be in her future. For now, she is healthy and vibrant.

 For her 4th birthday, Faye's parents requested that friends and family make donations to Family House in lieu of gifts.  "Family House is doing great things to help people in need and I want to let people know that. A donation to Family House is much more meaningful to us than gifts. We will explain to Faye that the gifts from her guests were sent to Family House to help other kids, so they can also have birthday parties.

"When she gets older, we will encourage her to participate in charity and community service. I saw many many great people during our difficult time and I want to Faye to learn from them."

To learn about ways that you can help Family House, please click here: http://www.familyhouseinc.org/donate.shtml


Introducing Family Stories Videos

Introducing Family House Family Stories - videos that feature the brave and inspiring stories of families of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.  Watch the first Family Stories video - Nino's Story:

http://www.familyhouseinc.org/family-stories.html

Family House Volunteer Spotlight: Cari Cronquist

 The Family House June Volunteer Spotlight shines on Cari Cronquist, "the girl with the smile!" We are so lucky to have such kind, generous volunteers!  Even something as simple as a great attitude can go a long way.  Thank you, Cari, for volunteering with Family House!  You rock!

"Cari Cronquist volunteered as the Operations Volunteer Leader in the Spring 2013 semester at 50 Irving St. However she has become so much more in her role at Family House.

Cari has become an important part of maintaining the 50 Irving Street facility. Throughout the semester, she has been supporting Paul Goold, Director of Operations, in tasks such as disinfecting, organizing,  and deep-cleaning common spaces, bedrooms, and the garage. Cari was also no stranger to managing other volunteers as she helped lead corporate groups and weekly volunteers perform various house functions.

Besides volunteering with Family House, Cari used to tutor and work with underprivileged kids in an after school program at two different elementary schools in San Jose. She has also done a lot of volunteer work with kids as a soccer coach for summer camps; she currently volunteers as a Research Assistant at UCSF  in the Langley Porter Institute.

In her spare time, she loves to play soccer and work out. Cari is known for her smile because you'll never see her without her signature ear-to-ear grin. Cari, we love your smiling face every day you are at Family House. Thank you!"

Get involved with Family House! Learn more at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

All Star Followup: Max Meierotto

Max and his parents first stayed at Family House for 3 months in 2011. They had come to San Francisco all the way from Vienna, Austria, so he could take part in a clinical trial for the treatment of Pelizaeus Merzbacher Disease, a very rare condition where the myelin sheath around Max’s brain deteriorates, causing significant motor function issues.

His mom, Stefanie, says of the clinical trial, “We were very, very happy about it, but of course we didn’t have a place to stay - and then Family House came in and gave us a bed.  There were very nice people to talk to and hang out with there. It was a place to just be home.”

Once a year for the next few years, Max returns to UCSF for checkups, including an EEG, an SSEP, an MRI, and all kinds of blood tests. “He’s 8 years old, and he’s having good progress with everything - it’s what we wish for.”

 When he comes to San Francisco now, he’s now longer the baby of the family. Stefanie recalls, “Last year in June, we had twin girls, healthy twin girls, and I’m not bored anymore. (Not that I was bored before, but now I learned what it means to be extremely busy!) They’re a big joy.

“In the beginning, it was a little bit hard for Max, because he was our prince for 8 years, and he had to learn to accept that there are other people that Mommy has to help with.  But he’s getting much, much better. Since the girls are getting older, and moving around more, he thinks this is hilarious, and enjoys them now quite a bit. It’s good for him - he’s learned a lot.”

Follow us on Facebook to see the latest on some of our amazing families:  http://facebook.com/FamilyHouseSanFrancisco

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

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