Family Receives Compassion Fund Help

Friday, December 6, 2024

Variety raises funds each year in December to refill the Compassion Fund at local hospitals. Tune in to 92.5 KJJY in central Iowa and 104.5 KDAT in eastern Iowa during Variety's Two Days of Compassion on December 10 & 11 and donate now to help children like Gunnar!

Variety partners with Blank Children's Hospital, Broadlawns Medical Center, ChildServe, Mary Greeley Medical Center, and MercyOne Des Moines in central Iowa, and Mercy Medical Center and UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's Hospital in eastern Iowa to provide immediate financial relief to families with children who are critically ill or are receiving specialized medical treatment, like Gunnar.

"Gunnar was born with a rare genetic disorder as well as pulmonary hypertension and holes in his heart. He spent 11 weeks in the NICU, where he had bowel obstruction surgery at four days old. He also had a jaw distraction surgery at six weeks old, which allowed him to be able to go home without a trach tube. From there, we have been battling multiple respiratory viruses and have been in and out of the hospital a lot. He’s two now – we have calculated he has spent 30 weeks of his life in the hospital. We’ve spent so much time in the emergency PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) – it has become our home away from home.

I first learned about the Variety Compassion Fund on his most recent stay in the hospital when our amazing social worker came up to us when we were getting ready to leave. Gunnar needed a continuous blood sugar monitor that wasn’t going to be covered by insurance. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to afford my normal bills and expenses as well as this additional cost. Our social worker offered me funds from the Compassion Fund to help with gas costs for Gunnar’s follow up appointments to help alleviate some of that financial stress so I could get what I needed for him.

I feel so humbled by this donation – we have been so amazed by the support we have received on this journey. For people to take time to donate to things that they don’t even see the blessing from – that’s huge. It’s the small things that matter the most. We are so grateful that we were able to experience this compassion. When the time is right, we hope to be able to pay it forward as well." - Gunnar's mom, Tiffany

Leave Your Comments

We welcome your comments. Please leave your ideas and opinions below.