The third time Judy Halter heard the words, “You have cancer,” she panicked. “I knew there was a possibility that my time here could definitely be shortened,” she said. But even more than her diagnosis of bladder cancer, Judy says she worried about how she was going to get to treatment. At age 76, Judy no longer drove [...]
Before finding Covenant House, Daniel was living in the streets after escaping an abusive home. “My dad was addicted to meth and drank a lot,” said Daniel. “He abused my mom [and] sexually abused me for years. And no one knew.” Daniel’s father’s addiction spiraled out of control after Daniel’s mother left. “I thought she would take [...]
Six-year-old Nico was diagnosed with diabetes in 2014. The diagnosis meant that his mother, Jodi, had to quickly learn about diabetes, including how to care for Nico on a daily basis, give him insulin shots, and spot the warning signs of a diabetic emergency. The school feared a lawsuit if any of its school staff gave Nico his shots, [...]
Jim and Leslie Donigan have been married for almost 50 years. Currently retired with three adult children, they have both faced a cancer diagnosis and are in remission today. In October of 2003, Leslie was diagnosed with GIST (Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors), a stomach cancer, and was told it was terminal. But then her doctor tried a medication [...]
Doctors discovered Colton suffered from a high grade glioma tumor in September, and shortly after he underwent brain surgery. Colton’s family then turned to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for his continuing treatment, including chemotherapy. “St. Jude spares no expense,” said Colton’s mom, Colleen. “It doesn’t matter the cost, they’re going to do what’s in the best [...]
Oliver was placed in an animal shelter. He was sick, and showed signs of past abuse. He had few adoption prospects, but as a fierce advocate for rescue dogs, Betty, decided to give him a chance. Betty noticed Oliver’s sweet disposition and decided he would be a great addition to her growing therapy dog team. Betty and [...]
“His heart is here! Wake up!” Blake will never forget waking up to these words when her father received the call that would save his life and change the course of hers forever. Blake felt helpless when her father was on the waiting list, but after his successful transplant, she found a calling in spreading the word [...]
During their 19-week ultrasound appointment, Sherry and RH’s excitement turned to terror when they were told their son’s bladder was abnormally large. To save their baby’s life, Sherry underwent fetal surgery. When Douglas was born, he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, and a rare birth defect called prune belly syndrome. Yearning for answers and action, Sherry [...]
Natalie has a very rare auto-immune disorder that causes blood clots. It took months to receive a diagnosis and in that time, it did substantial damage both physically and cognitively. While she realizes she is fortunate to be alive, Natalie experienced multiple brain infractions that impacted her spatial orientation and balance. Freedom Service Dogs of America helped give [...]
A CT scan and a biopsy confirmed that a mass in Griffin’s pelvis was Ewing Sarcoma, a type of bone cancer that occurs most often in and around the bones and typically affects children and young adults. Every time Jill arrived at the hospital for her 8-year-old son Griffin’s chemotherapy treatment for Ewing Sarcoma, she posted signs [...]
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