If These Walls Could Talk
Tommy’s Place
Opened in 2023
Tommy’s Place was made possible by a generous anonymous gift and is named in memory of Thomas Shade, a Yellow Door child who fought recurrent osteosarcoma for close to four years before passing away on November 30, 2022. During his four year battle, Tommy and his grandparents and mom stayed in four of our apartments during three separate treatments for close to a total of 700 days. We will always remember his mischievous grin and the sense of humor he was able to carry even on his hardest days. He is greatly missed.
Since opening its doors, Tommy’s House has served as the home of 14 families. It is thoughtfully decorated to reflect Tommy’s love of the Eagles football team, the UVA Basketball team and video games. Nestled at the end of a quiet street, next the The Nest, it looks out over a walking path and wooded area offering families a peaceful place to be together.
Current Resident
Everett “Bubba”
At just 6 months old, Bubba arrived at Yellow Door with his mom, dad, and proud big sister at the end of June as he began treatment at UVA Health.
Bubba has been diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a rare disorder in which certain immune cells, called Langerhans cells, grow and build up in the body, causing damage to organs, bones, skin, or other tissues. While LCH is not technically cancer, its treatment often includes chemotherapy and closely resembles cancer treatment.