This week at Yellow Door, we had the honor of welcoming two members of the UVA Men’s Basketball National Championship team to the Battle Building Clinic. They came to visit our wonderful Thomas, who was in day one of his second round of Chemo, and did his best Kyle Guy impersonation for the occasion!
The change in Thomas was evident the minute Grant and Francisco arrived, and even the nurses commented how they had never seen this engaging, funny, and sports-knowledable side of him! Thomas took pleasure in throwing “shade” at Grant every chance he got, and was happy to compare scars with Francisco. It was amazing to watch how other patients and their families came out from their individual infusion rooms to meet the the guys, eat Anna’s pizza, take selfies, and ask Francisco how tall he is! (6’11”)
It was clear that Mom, Mia, who is also fighting cancer, was the most star struck of anyone in attendance!
As an added bonus, G & F put on masks and visited our heart transplant patient, 6 year old Ben, who had no idea who they were, but enjoyed talking with them about his chickens back home. Our sincere gratitude to UVA Athletics for this joyful afternoon.
We also wanted to spotlight a testimonial from one of our Donors and self-proclaimed “biggest cheerleader”, Nancy Artis Caton, who worked with UVA Hospital pediatric patient education for decades.
“Those of us who live in Charlottesville often take for granted the world-class UVA Children’s Hospital in our own backyards. For other families, particularly those with children diagnosed with serious illnesses, the Children’s Hospital becomes a temporary focal point in their lives. Families needing to stay in Charlottesville while their children are hospitalized or undergoing extended treatment face multiple challenges. Concerns about family, work, finances, travel, lodging, and meals must be addressed. The UVA Children’s Hospital Housing Collaborative, of which The Yellow Door Foundation is an integral part, addresses one of the most basic needs: assisting families in securing “a place to stay while your child receives treatment.” Removing the housing angst is important on two fronts: it addresses a critical need and frees families from the worry of finding safe and affordable lodging while they are here. Clearing this hurdle positions them to be more active care partners in their children’s treatment and recovery. It follows that we are proud and happy to support The Yellow Door Foundation.”
A sincere thanks to everyone who has made Yellow Door a success.