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HGF is proud to have sponsored “Purple Shirt Day” partnering with the Texas Children’s Cancer on behalf of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit of Texas Children’s Hospital. Supporting staff and their unwavering commitment to patients and their families is yet another facet of providing holistic care in medicine. The compassion, care and individual attention every patient receives from doctors, nurses and staff on the BMTU is to be highly commended.

A sea of purple shirts flooded the unit on Friday, February 18th along with purple nail polish, hearts on cheeks and jewelry bling. The bright yellow logo on each shirt is a constant reminder that we patients, parents, caregivers, medical staff and volunteers are Believing Miracles Transpire for every child who must undergo a bone marrow transplant (BMT).

Purple Shirt Day boosted morale, brought endless smiles and a touch of renewed energy to the 70 plus individuals who provide exceptional medical care daily to every patient and family on the 8th floor.

As HGF enters it’s 16th year providing physical, emotional and financial support to every patient and their family who enters the BMTU of TCH, we look forward to partnering in new ways in 2013.

Believing Miracles Transpire,

Val Anderson
HGF Executive Director

The date is set for our Annual Holiday Breakfast on Wednesday December 5, 2012 at 7am.

For Sponsorship options, and to order your tickets ONLINE now please click this link.

For mail-ins, please click here for a downloadable PDF..

For questions, or to donate by phone, please call Elizabeth Proctor, cate+proctor FUNDRAISING at 713-705-0304.

Our Christmas Celebration on the BMTU is Friday, December 21, 2012.
Donations could include: gift cards, pajamas, slippers, dvd/movies for children and financial contributions for families in need.

On June 5, 1995 at 4:00 am, we were told that our daughter, Gracie Kiltz would not survive past noon. John and I quickly proceeded out to the visitor’s waiting room of ICU to check on our son Riley, who had no idea what was taking place. Why should he be suspect? He had experienced the emergency room for the sake of his sister a dozen times before with spiked temperatures due to the most aggressive form of leukemia that Gracie had been battling for 10 months. As we greeted him, he enthusiastically reported he had drawn me a picture and it had a story.

With the recent news of her prognosis, I didn’t know if I could endure a juvenile’s imaginative pictorial report of his artwork. However, as he began to speak, I was frozen by the message of his story regarding Gracie’s climb up the mountain. Riley stated, “I drew a picture for you mommy of Gracie climbing a mountain.
It has three faces on it.
The first face on the mountain is mad because the mountain is so big.
The second face is sad because she doesn’t think she can make it up the mountain.
And the third face is happy and smiling because she knows she can make it to the top!

Through my tears, I told Riley it was the most beautiful picture he had ever drawn for me and it would be framed and hung in our home very soon. Of course, one of my close friends sitting with Riley heard his story and my response, and immediately had it framed. It hung in Gracie’s ICU room for two weeks.

Without a chance of survival, our Gracie is now a beautiful young lady of 19 with a miraculous smile that lights up everyone’s world. Gracie does that for her family everyday.

A few years later Gracie and our family along with 9 other friends ascended a 14,000 foot mountain in Lake City, Colorado. The journey took 9 nine hours. Every 100-200 yards Gracie was transferred in a backpack to another willing friend on the climb. Once we reached the top we prayed and sang Amazing Grace! We stand in awe of all God has accomplished through Gracie’s upward climb. We give all the praise and honor to our Lord Jesus Christ. As you all journey up another climb on a different continent, know that Gracie’s story continues to inspire our service to the bone marrow transplant unit of Texas Children’s Hospital and His Grace Foundation applauds your courage and endurance as well as our young patients!

HGF Newsletter
Fall 2012

HGF Newsletter
Summer 2011

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION GUIDELINES for HIS GRACE FOUNDATION

HGF Executive Director Val Anderson, will contact you within two weeks once she has received your contact information.

Once your interview has satisfactorily taken place, please go to the following link and fill out the Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) On-Line Volunteer Application:
https://ec.volunteernow.com/recruiter/index.php?class=VolunteerRegistration&recruiterID=1332

HGF Volunteers operate under the TCH Volunteer System and must adhere to their guidelines.
In the open text box field that says “Are there any limitations to your volunteering, or any particular skills
you’re interested in sharing with us?” Please indicate that you have interviewed with Val Anderson of HGF and would like to volunteer with His Grace Foundation.

After TCH approves your application you will be given a HGF training manual, which includes:
Health History Questionnaire
Background Check Information form
Test covering the TCH Guidelines explained in the manual.

You will also be required to take a TB test. When you return to have the results read within 48-72 hours, be sure to take the Health History Questionnaire with you so that it will be recorded on the form.

Upon completion of the above forms, please make an appointment with TCH Volunteer Services to watch their training video. There are several dates and times available to complete this. You will hand in your Health History Questionnaire with TB test results and background check from when you attend the video showing.

Volunteer Services, Texas Children’s Hospital
Abercrombie Building #A125
6621 Fannin
Houston, Tx 77030
832.826.2257 (office)
832.825.0256 (fax)

Please be sure to write His Grace Foundation at the top of all forms and allow two weeks for clearance of your application. MAKE A COPY OF YOUR INFORMATION BEFORE HANDING IT IN.

The first time you come to volunteer you will be meeting with Val Anderson or Karen Kaminski to review the various services we provide as volunteers. Be sure to bring a photo I.D. so that you may obtain your volunteer badge at the TCH Security Service Center near the gray elevators on the first floor of the Abercrombie Building directly across from The West Tower where HGF serves on the 8th floor.

Please wear khakis, black or white pants or skirt and close-toed shoes.You will be given an HGF volunteer shirt as well.

We pray that YOU “have found your fit” in the world of volunteering with HGF and look forward to you being a part of our team.

Northgate Country Club
His Grace Foundation Volunteers