Three years ago today, HGF's Director of Programming, Rylie York, received a Bone Marrow Transplant at Texas Children's Hospital. She was 18 years old and had just been diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the middle of her senior year of high school. Today is what is commonly referred to as her "3rd Blood Birthday." ⁠ Read below as Rylie reflects on her time on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, and what led her to joining our staff. We are so proud to have her as part of our team.⁠ -- ""As I reflect on my time as a patient on the Bone Marrow Transplant at Texas Children's, I am filled with both immense gratitude and deep heartache. I feel gratitude for the doctors, nurses and staff who dedicate every day to saving lives on this unit. I feel gratitude for the lessons and experiences I learned and shared with my own family, as well as other families, as we walked through trials in the hospital walls. ⁠ ⁠ I feel deep heartache for the patients and families today, who are on the same journey that I was just a short three years ago. I feel heartache for [...]

The BMTU in-patient and clinic patients had an EGG-CELLENT Easter thanks to our friend and partner Julie Friedman of Young, Wild & Friedman. Julie and her team provided 35 of their oh-so-popular play dough jars, filled with stimulating sensory items and perfect for patients of all ages. We are so grateful! -- To learn more about Young, Wild + Friedman, click here.

Allegra Abbey is our go-to for all-things programming and events on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. Not only does she work with us to brainstorm (and execute!) fun and festive events for holidays big and small, she is gifted with a compassionate spirit and desire to make meaningful connections with each and every patient and family on the unit. Tell us a little bit about you and how you came into your role at TCH as a Child Life Activity Coordinator. Upon graduating from Texas A&M I taught through Teach For America. After two years, my husband and I moved to Houston for his job. I was on the job-hunt and the Child Life Activity Coordinator position at TCH presented itself in the most magical way. I have never felt like I was supposed to be somewhere more than when I was called to serve these patients and families. What is your favorite thing about your job? That I am making meaningful connections with patients and families. Every day, I get to use my creativity to engineer opportunities to make children feel loved and valued. What has been one of your favorite programming activities that you partnered with HGF [...]

Twenty-five years ago, on Valentine’s Day in 1997, a handful of freshly-recruited volunteers brought homemade decor and a warm meal to the family room of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit and served His Grace Foundation’s first meal. It was that meal, brought in to encourage each family and celebrate love, that began our legacy of hope and care at Texas Children's Hospital. Today we celebrate 25 years of grace. Since 1997, we have provided over 5.1 million dollars of support to more than 2,000 bone marrow transplant patients and their families. “[HGF provided] such a boost of morale and a sense of peace I so badly needed,” said Keri, BMTU patient Christiana’s mom. “The support I have felt from [them] came at a time I really needed it.” We embark on our twenty-fifth year with the same eagerness to provide respite and love that those volunteers brought with them when serving our first meal. We look forward to marking this milestone with you throughout the year — sharing stories from the past and celebrating what's to come.

We could not be more pleased to announce that our dear friends at TeamWalkerPete Foundation have partnered with us to fund a fifth His Grace Place apartment! Because of their generous gift, we will be able to provide more families with a space of comfort and rest as they navigate their post-transplant journey. The Peters family founded TeamWalkerPete Foundation to honor the legacy of their son and brother Nick Walker Peters whose battle with leukemia spanned seven years and included two relapses and a bone marrow transplant. Nick and his family stayed in a His Grace Place apartment in 2016 while Nick was in treatment. Their wish in providing this apartment is to ensure Nick’s spirit of hope, laughter and generosity is never forgotten. “Mentally, emotionally, physically…that apartment meant so much to us,” said Judi Peters, Nick’s mom. “That’s why my heart led us to do this. Some of the best times for Nick were because of that apartment.” Please join us in celebrating this joyous gift by reading more about Nick and his time on the BMTU and at His Grace Place here. With joy and thankfulness, Janell Reniers Executive Director

We are off to a big and beautiful start in 2022! Jimmy Pappas Memorial Shoot Event Chair, John Elder, and Monique Pappas proudly presented His Grace Foundation with a check for over ,000! We are so grateful to have been selected as a beneficiary of their fall event and even more excited to use these funds to continue serving the BMTU at Texas Children’s Hospital with excellence. Save the date and join us on November 15 for JPMS 2022.

"[Balloons Over BMTU] was was one of the happiest days on the unit in a very long time!" - Allegra, Texas Children's Hospital Child Life Activity Coordinator Our hearts burst on the afternoon of Thanksgiving when this note came through from Allegra, who we partner closely with to fund and create festive activities and events for the patients on families on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. Allegra came to us months ago with the idea to bring the children's book "Balloons Over Broadway" to life on the BMTU as they celebrate Thanksgiving away from home. The books shares the true story of a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade puppeteer and in effort to give the patients a taste of that experience, we provided them with themed craft supplies and oversized balloons to create their own parade floats! Patients spent over a week working on their floats before marching them down the halls of the unit and passing out themed favors to their crowd of onlookers. In this season of Thankfulness, we are exceptionally grateful to have been able to provided such a fun, festive and enjoyable activity for the Bone Marrow Transplant patients this year.

Halloween on the BMTU was so cute this year, it was scary! While we are unable to visit the unit at this time, we are so grateful for the Texas Children's Hospital staff who snapped these pictures as patients and their families enjoyed their Halloween treats and festivities provided by His Grace Foundation. Thank you to all the donors and volunteers who provided supplies, assembled goody bags and donated their time and resources. We are so thankful!

Join us in congratulating His Grace Foundation's very own Assistant Program Director and previous Texas Children's Hospital Bone Marrow Transplant Unit patient, Rylie York in receiving Baylor University's prestigious Outstanding Philanthropy Award! ⁠ Rylie's time at Baylor has been entirely devoted to service.⁠ ⁠ She currently serves as the President of Chi Omega Fraternity. She has also served as the Philanthropy Chair, spearheading fundraising efforts for Chi Omega's national philanthropy, Make-A-Wish America.⁠ ⁠ Rylie has also done extensive work for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, where she has become deeply involved with the mission of LLS and their commitment to raising awareness for blood cancers.⁠ ⁠ Last but not least, Rylie dedicated her entire summer, as well as countless hours this fall to us at His Grace Foundation, the very organization that served her while she was a patient at Texas Children's.⁠ ⁠ We could not be more thankful for Rylie's support and effort on our behalf, or the other organizations she so dutifully supports. We appreciate Baylor University for honoring her in this incredible way — so well deserved!

We are so grateful to have been selected as a Jimmy Pappas Memorial Shoot beneficiary!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Now through November 16, simply select 'Jimmy Pappas Memorial Shoot' when you go to donate on our website, and your funds will be matched up to ,000 through November 16!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Double your impact for the pediatric bone marrow transplant patients and their families at Texas Children's Hospital by donating now! DONATE HERE: here⁠⁠ Thank you to Jimmy Pappas Memorial Shoot for selecting us as a beneficiary and joining us in supporting the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Texas Children's Hospital. ⁠⁠ --⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ABOUT JIMMY PAPPAS MEMORIAL SHOOT⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ The Jimmy Pappas Memorial Shoot honors the life of Jimmy Pappas who left behind a wonderful legacy of friendship, kindness and loads of laughter-filled memories. After Jimmy’s battle with cancer ended in 2011, a group of his close friends decided to honor Jimmy’s legacy by creating an opportunity to bring all of his friends, family and colleagues together to share endless memories involving Jimmy’s love of life, adventurous spirit and get it done attitude. In addition, the founders wanted the event to have a philanthropic mission: to provide financial support and access to educational and [...]