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"I give to HelpHOPELive because I want to support the passion, the hope, because I've seen it work."
Christine Markel Kanter,
Board Member for HelpHOPELive |
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Why I Give:
Meet Chris Kanter
Chris has been a part of the HelpHOPELive family since the beginning in 1983 when the organization was raising funds solely for heart transplants, which at the time were considered experimental and often not covered by insurance.
In 2003, after nearly 20 "meaningful years" on staff, Chris retired her position as a Patient Services Coordinator. She now enjoys her role as a board member for HelpHOPELive, and, like you, she is a Partner in HOPE.
My connection to HelpHOPELive runs so deep because of my time on staff. Going to work every day was exciting. The need was there, and we were there for our patients at every twist and turn as the field of transplantation progressed...I loved talking to patients, and it was always a thrill when fundraising caught on in a community and a patient actually got a transplant. It was energizing--what we did worked!
We were constantly growing. By the mid-90s we were serving all solid organ transplant patients. In 2000, a local teen sustained a spinal cord injury and the community came to us for help. It was then that we realized a catastrophic injury had the same impact on a family and community as someone in need of a lifesaving transplant. And so one program became two, and eventually evolved into what is now HelpHOPELive.
I cherish my ongoing involvement with HelpHOPELive. For nearly 30 years we have helped people in need--I want that to continue.
I give to HelpHOPELive because I want to support the passion, the hope, because I've seen it work.
I am committed to helping the organization continue to grow and meet the needs of more patients and families in need.
My name is Chris Kanter, and I am a Partner in HOPE.
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With Your Support
Greetings!
Thanks to fundraising and hard work, HelpHOPELive catastrophic injury client Patrick Ivison recently made a longtime dream a reality. On June 12, with the help of his trainer and a custom-built walker, the paralyzed teen stood from his wheelchair and walked to receive his high school diploma, receiving a standing ovation from the jam-packed crowd. Amazing!
 Paralyzed at just 14-months old, Patrick has never known life without a wheelchair--but he hasn't let that stop him from living a full and active life. In 2005, Patrick's mom Jennifer established a fundraising campaign through HelpHOPELive to raise funds to pay for critical but uninsured injury-related expenses, such as home and vehicle modifications, home health care, exercise-based rehabilitation therapy--and more. Funds raised in Patrick's honor (more than $234,000) have made possible for him a quality of life and level of independence that would otherwise be unaffordable. Thanks to continued support and Patrick's drive, he has experienced increased mobility; participated in sports like surfing, wheelchair rugby, skiing; and most recently, achieved a dream three years in the making: to stand eye to eye with the person handing him his diploma.
As evident by Patrick's story, gifts to HelpHOPELive, from selfless supporters like you, provide so much more than just financial support; your gifts deliver hope: the feeling that what is wanted can be had.
Our clients' hopes have endless possibilities. Some hope to walk like Patrick, some hope for a second chance through a transplant. Through your generosity, you create the feeling that both are possible.
Thank you for being a Partner in Hope.
With gratitude,
Lynne Coughlin Samson
Executive Director and C.E.O.
for HelpHOPELive
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