Havens for Healing

Each year thousands of young patients travel great distances from their homes to receive specialized care at Packard Children’s. For the families of these patients, staying close to their children during lengthy hospital stays presents a tremendous challenge. Thanks to generous support from the Children’s Fund, the Hospital’s Housing Department has become a vital resource for uprooted patient families who desperately need shelter and comfort during trying times.

In December 2003, 4-year-old Abbie Duncan and her family made an unexpected trip from Bakersfield to Packard Children’s where Abbie waited four months for a heart transplant. With the help of the Housing Department, the Duncan family, with two young sons and grandparents in tow, was able to relocate from the tiny apartment they had temporarily rented in Menlo Park to a furnished two-story home that was provided free of charge by a generous Palo Alto resident. When Abbie was finally able to leave the hospital in May, ''she had a home to come home to,'' says her mom, Trisha Duncan. ''It also made a huge difference in her recovery because she was happy; we were all able to be together.''

Last year, Children’s Fund gifts fully funded the salary of Housing Specialist Oscar Calderon. Calderon works directly with more than 1,000 families a year, placing them into one of two programs to best fit their medical and financial needs: Homes with a Heart, which matches patient families requiring long-term accommodations with local residents willing to share their homes; or Hotels with a Heart, which finds hotel rooms for families expecting to stay in town for only a few nights. In 2006, Packard Children’s Housing Department arranged for 5,300 nights of lodging for free or at a significantly reduced rate in local hotels and homes.

With the continued support of Children’s Fund donors, more Packard families will be given the gift of rest in a home away from home, says Housing Director Erin Champion.