How The Foundation Helps Heart Transplants

The HAVE A HEART FOUNDATION provides transplant recipients, advanced heart failure patients and their families with financial assistance based upon need in various ways. The Foundation helps to defray the cost of hotel stays before, during, and after surgery. Educational assistance is provided about living with advanced heart failure or heart transplantation, the transplant process, and dealing with the "emotional roller coaster' before, during, and after transplantation.

The HAVE A HEART FOUNDATION provides administrative and financial assistance to the Heart Support Group. Sandra Nothegger is the current President of the Heart Support Group. Transplant recipients, advanced heart failure patients, and family members are encouraged to attend the Heart Support Group's monthly luncheon. Experts in such areas as cardiovascular disease, heart surgery and transplantation, psychology, and organ procurement are invited to speak at these meetings. However, the greatest benefit to transplant recipients and advanced heart failure patients is the opportunity to lend strength and support to one another especially in those extremely stressful times before, during, and after surgery.

The Foundation supports transplant recipients, advanced heart failure patients and their families in other important ways. The Stanley Warwick Memorial Scholarship Program is a new and exciting undertaking of the Foundation. Through the generosity of the late Stanley Warwick, a heart transplant recipient, and his family, the Foundation is able to provide college financial assistance to transplant recipients and their family members based upon their need.

How The Foundation Funds Its Charitable Work

The Foundation funds its charitable activities and programs in two fundamental ways. One way is through individual gifts, grants, and corporate contributions. The other way is by hosting various fund raising events. In the past, these have incuded:

• The annual Johnny "Red" Kerr Have A Heart Golf Classic. Of course, John is the University of Illinois' former basketball star, Chicago Bull's coach, and TV "voice" of the Chicago Bulls. More importantly, he is a strong supporter of the Foundation and its important mission. To highlight and to promote this golf outing, the Foundation had joined with the NFL (National Football League) Alumni, Chicago Chapter charitable organization. The NFL Alumni charity is national in scope. 
  
• The Foundation and the Support Group host social and fund raising activities for the benefit and enjoyment of the transplant recipients, advance heart failure patients and their families. These activities include a December holiday luncheon.

How You Can Support The Foundation

You can support the HAVE A HEART FOUNDATION in two very meaningful ways. One way is by signing an organ donor card: please ask your family and friends to do the same. The other way is by making the "charitable choice." The Foundation is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) charity, so your donation is income tax deductible to the extent allowed under the law.

Except for administrative expenses and contract obligations, such as those involved with the golf outing, 100% of the money raised by the Foundation is used exclusively for the transplant recipients, advanced heart failure patients and their families who most need help. Members of the Board of Trustees volunteer their time and receive no financial benefit from the Foundation's activities and programs. Once the Foundation's expenses and contract obligations are met, the money that is raised is used solely for the benefit of the transplant recipients and heart failure patients.

The Foundation believes that "a heart that shares is a heart that cares." The Foundation asks you to support the heart transplant recipients, advanced heart failure patients, and their families through a financial donation to the HAVE A HEART FOUNDATION. The Foundation's ability to fulfill its important mission rests fully upon the generosity of its financial contributors.