Restoring Hope

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STAY AT RHTH: LOVING CARE FOR TRANSPLANT FAMILIES
Our transplant families are truly blessed to have one of the best transplant programs in the world caring for their loved ones, but the transplant journey can at times be a lengthy, emotional and stressful one.  While the focus is on the well-being of the patient and rightfully so, a question we often see that families are not entirely prepared for when embarking on this journey is:
 
Who will care for the caregiver?
 
Being a caregiver can be seriously hard work and we see the impact it can have on loved ones on a daily basis.  The absolute strength of this house at its very finest is the collective compassion and heartfelt love our caregivers will feel during the entirety of their stay here.  From an experienced staff that has been through the transplant journey ourselves to sharing a house with other families going through very similar challenges, it is absolutely magical to see the amount of love shared between people when they absolutely need it most.   
 
Restoring Hope Transplant House will care for the caregiver! 
 
We look very much forward to welcoming new transplant families in 2020 and are always so excited each week to see so many of the familiar names return for checkups or hospital visits.  This is really a special place because we strongly believe that there is so much more to healing than simply treating the physical ailments.  If you are looking for a caring environment to get through quite possibly the greatest challenge you will ever face, please consider joining our Restoring Hope family this year.  We would love to welcome you with open arms!

To Transplant Families In Need:  
As happens quite often, we recently took a reservation from a Michigan family that learned about RHTH through another one of our transplant families.  They were in need of a life-changing transplant and our friends suggested that not only should they look into getting evaluated at UW Hospital with the hopes of getting added to the transplant waiting list, but that they should stay here at Restoring Hope Transplant House whenever they are in Madison.  These grassroots efforts have always made such a huge difference in guiding patients to Madison and staying here with us and we are so grateful for that.
 
Simple gestures like sharing this newsletter and our website to your social media pages, passing along materials about the house to friends you make while in the hospital, forwarding to friends and family via email or presenting your story and experiences with this house to various support groups both in person and online has been so helpful in spreading the word.   
 
We want to raise the level of our voice and our story so that it reaches more families in need.  Please help!
 
To Your Transplant Coordinator & Care Team:
You are blessed to be in the best hands possible for transplantation at UW Hospital.  As a non-profit with limited promotional opportunities, it can be extremely helpful when you share your experiences, lifelong friendships, the easing of financial hardships, the value of sharing a compassionate home with families going through very similar journeys.  Sharing those heartfelt stories with the people who have blessed you with a second chance at life through transplantation really does help build relationships and fill this house with the next generation of transplant families.
 
To Your Local News:
Do you have local media connections, websites, support groups, social media pages or other opportunities that might be interested in sharing Restoring Hope Transplant House for both the exposure of the house as a non-profit and to help create awareness for transplant families about the availability of this house?  Please contact Cindy Herbst at 608-831-1726 or via email at restoringhope@tds.net 
 
Cindy would love to speak with you! We appreciate our alums and friends taking ownership and sharing! 
TRANSPLANT STORIES OF HOPE FOR 2020!
In Their Own Words: A New Kidney for 2020!
 
When I first came to the door, I was a bit nervous and didn't know what to expect so to be greeted at the door gave me a warm welcome from the start. This place and the people are overwhelming with the compassion they have for others. This has been an unbelievable life-changing week for our son and our entire family. When things were a little unsettled, Cindy was so helpful and just gave me a big hug that helped to ease the entire situation. Where else could you get that? We are so blessed to have found this hospital and this house after 6 years of waiting for a kidney.
 
Thank you all!
 
John & Ruthie
Kidney transplant caregivers
Chicago, IL
Caring For The Caregiver
Restoring Hope's family - Cindy & Eric have held my hand while I have struggled through the toughest moments in my life. Here I have laughed, cried, worried, been stressed, had my heart broken then built back up with hope. How do you explain the impact of hope that pours from this family and the love from complete strangers that is given. I am continually told how strong I am for all that I've been through. I am truly a product of the people that have touched my life these past few years. Those people have been at the house. They have also taken up permanent residence in the areas that warm my heart!
 
Boualay
Parkersburg, IA
Liver Transplant Caregiver

Pancreas Recipient Thanks Lions Clubs For Supporting RHTH
I, as well as so many others I know are so very thankful for the Lions and the Lioness Clubs of WI. Thanks to all of you, many of us have a welcoming, home-like place to stay when we really need it. It is a comfortable and caring place to go to during all of our trips to UW Health in Madison. It is beyond amazing to have a place like Restoring Hope Transplant House. They are also very welcoming to family members as well.
 
I'd like to introduce myself to all of you. My name is Stephanie and at the age of 12, I became very sick. Within a week and a half I went from 75lbs down to 57lbs. I could no longer take care of myself or walk so my mom rushed me to the ER. That was the day I learned that I had diabetes. It was such a scary thing to hear when you are so young. If I hadn't gone in that day, the doctor said I would have been in a coma. My blood sugar was over 1000 mg's. It is not an easy disease to deal with as you are constantly trying to figure out how to keep your blood sugars levels even every minute of the day. I was testing up to 10 plus times a day. In the long run, if it is not well controlled, there are so many things it can affect and problems it can cause. I had pretty good control for many years but I would say it started getting bad in 2014/2015. My blood sugars were constantly up and down which is not good. The final decision to look into other options was when I lost consciousness after getting to the bottom of my stairs only to wake up by the wall to my bedroom. That was about 20 ft away from the stairs. I had no idea how I made it there but if I hadn't made it to that wall and made a noise when I hit it, my husband wouldn't have woken up to help me. That scared me a lot and I was afraid of it happening again or something even worse happening.
 
Fast forward to 2017. This is when I found out they do pancreas only transplants through another friend who had a kidney/pancreas transplant at UW Health in Madison. On April 26, 2018 I received my new pancreas. I was in the hospital for about a week and to be honest (as we all know) it's not the most comfortable place to stay for anyone, let alone family members. We weren't sure what to do as my mom would be staying in Madison for most of that time. We heard about Restoring Hope and she called them right away to see if she could stay there during that time. They welcomed her like they had known her for years and were so very thoughtful and caring. It was such a relief for the both of us. A transplant can be a very scary thing to go through so even though my mom didn't have other family members to confide in, she said RHTH made that much easier for her. I have also met many other transplant recipients who just love staying there and have nothing but positive things to say about RHTH. It is one less thing we have to worry about when so much else is going on. It really is a life saver in the transplant world.  
 
So a big "THANK YOU" from my family to all of you for giving us the support for such a wonderful place to stay! We appreciate everything you have done and do. You are making a big difference to many.
 
Stephanie T.
Pancreas Transplant Recipient for Type 1 Diabetes
West Salem, WI
VA Hospital Transplant Guests In Their Own Words
Every time I stay at the Transplant House with my friend who is a heart transplant recipient from Illinois, I feel it's more than a house, it's a home. Cindy and Eric make it fun and homey. It's great to always get to know the visitors stories and recovery along the way and follow their progress and see all the heart felt patients stories. I love the encouragement and atmosphere of the Restoring Hope Transplant House and always feel at home. I am truly blessed Cindy and Eric were brought into my life.
 
Missy H.
Hudson, WI
Heart Transplant Caregiver
4 Months At RHTH As A Caregiver
So, for the past several months, I have been living at RHTH. You meet so many different people that come through these doors. Liver, kidney, pancreas, heart and so many other things. After a while, you become like family. Many long lasting friendships are made here. We cook meals or go out to eat together. We all sit around the huge long dining room table and talk about how everyone's day was. If you need to talk, someone is always there to listen. Or if you don't want to talk, that's ok too.

More people need to know about Restoring Hope Transplant House. I have been here and have learned so much about what these people do. They are Angels from Heaven. Thank you Cindy & Eric!

Judy, Jerry & Dawn
Heart & Kidney Transplant Family
Davenport, IA
Historical Photos of Restoring Hope Transplant House from 1906
The Pierstorff House as photographed in 1906 is the current home to Restoring Hope Transplant House.
On The Road Again: Speaking At Lions Club Conventions
We always appreciate the opportunity to visit, tour and speak to those that support this house including the Lions Clubs of Wisconsin and beyond. It's especially meaningful when one of our own transplant families from a specific region joins us to share their story and experiences at the house.  This house may be several miles from Deane's home in Baraboo or from the Haen families home in Menasha, but we have hosted so many transplant families from those Lions Club District areas.  Deane's wife Cheryl received a kidney autotransplant here in Madison last year while the Haen's father received a kidney transplant this winter.  We are so grateful for their friendship and for taking the time to join us and for everyone in attendance.  
Record Setting Year For Lung Transplants At UW Hospital
Save The Date To Participate
More 2020 Moments In Pics
Please Help: Make A Donation To Restoring Hope Transplant House Today
If this house has been a blessing to you and your family throughout your journey or the stories of our families have touched your heart and soul, please make a secure online donation today via PayPal or mail today.  Together, we have the resources and compassion to sustain this house for many years to come, but we need your collective financial support to further our mission.  We appreciate your friendship and generosity and would also love to hear your stories, Restoring Hope memories and updates!
 
Please send mail to:
Restoring Hope Transplant House
7457 Terrace Avenue
Middleton, WI 53562
About Restoring Hope Transplant House - Contact Cindy

Restoring Hope Transplant House is a non-profit home established to serve organ and bone marrow transplant patients and their families. The home features six generously-sized guest rooms, multiple sitting rooms, full kitchen, laundry, cable tv, wi-fi and a tranquil yet convenient location in downtown Middleton, just five miles from UW Hospital.

If you have any questions about RHTH, please contact Cindy to learn more.