Our Mission
Supporting Bone Marrow Transplant patients in their greatest moment of need since 1997.
His Grace Foundation provides physical, emotional and financial support to the patients and families of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit (BMTU) at Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH).
History
His Grace Foundation (HGF) was founded in 1997 by John and Erin Kiltz after their youngest daughter, Gracie, was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 2 and began treatment at TCH.
Blessed with a strong support base of friends and family members who tended to their daily needs, the Kiltz were able to focus entirely on Gracie’s care. It didn’t take long for them to realize that their robust team of helpers was an exception, as most families with a critically-ill child experience a significant gap in support.
It was this that led the Kiltz to focus their efforts on providing a legacy of hope and care to Bone Marrow Transplant patients and their families.
Who We Serve
In a single year, His Grace Foundation serves over 150 in-patient children receiving a BMT and hundreds more visiting the out-patient clinic. Often described as the ‘last hope for a cure’, BMT patients suffer from life-threatening diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma, neuroblastoma, SCIDS, sickle cell disease, rare blood disorders, brain tumors and other types of cancer.
Patients served by TCH often live in the Greater Houston area, though many travel from other cities, states, and even countries, leaving behind their local support systems and entering a 6-8 week period of isolation.
Texas Children’s Hospital’s state-of-the-art and award winning Bone Marrow Transplant Unit houses 25 beds across two floors in their Main Campus complex.
What We Do
The families of children receiving treatment are under enormous strain. To aid in lifting that burden, HGF has grown year after year, increasing services, volunteers, and impact.
To provide a moment of warmth upon arrival to the BMTU, patients are greeted with a HGF Welcome Basket. Designed specifically for the child, it overflows with both age-appropriate items of interest and necessities for family members who may have not had the opportunity to pack appropriately given the urgency of most transplants.
Additional services include free parking, weekly catered meals, access to emergency funding, educational support and scholarships, as well as holiday and birthday celebrations and educational enrichments. The foundation also provides five apartment homes for out-patient families, who are required to maintain close proximity to the hospital.
Visit the Our Programs page to learn more about the services we provide.
