Grant Recipients

Keep Swimming Foundation Selects 2 Families for Grants

Since selecting our first grant recipients in 2018, Keep Swimming Foundation‘s Board of Directors have chosen families on a quarterly basis. The process of selecting families in need required this lengthened time to thoroughly vet and analyze each application. 

2020 has been a truly unprecedented year for the healthcare industry, patients, and the family members of the critically ill. Not only has the pandemic changed the way providers care for their patients, it has changed the way families can show their love and support for their critically ill children, parents, siblings and/or spouses. In May 2020, we began noticing a major shift in our applications. The number of applications had significantly declined, due to various hospitals placing strict no-visitor protocols for the family members of the patients. Atop of this, many hospital-driven aid programs (cafeteria voucher programs, recovery homes, etc.) had been eliminated for budgetary reasons. For those at a hospital that allowed a minimum of one immediate family member to visit, we noticed the circumstances these family members experienced were dire, due largely to their inability to spend full days and nights in the hospital room with the patient. As a result, this caused an increase in lodging expenses for most of our applicants. This lodging expense, combined with pandemic-related job loss, resulted in critical circumstances for a handful of applicants.

Upon noticing this change in applications, our Board of Directors chose to adjust our grant giving from quarterly to monthly, for we wanted to aid these families sooner than later with their exhaustive lodging expenses. Through all of this, our Board of Directors made sure to uphold the same stringent analysis of every application. As a result, there were months where zero families were selected. However, of the families we did select since May, we as a whole are very proud of our selections and are pleased to share them with you at this time. 

Below are the stories of two families who received a combined $6,730 in financial aid between late spring and early summer 2020. The remainder of our selections will be shared with our donors throughout this holiday season.

As always, we thank you, our amazing donors, for allowing us to continue to help families in need, especially during this difficult time for us all.

Family #1 - Pearl City, IL - Recipients of a $3,480 Grant

On January 24, 2020, an Illinois husband and father of two went to a doctor for what he thought was a sinus infection. He later called his wife to say that he was headed via ambulance to Madison, Wisconsin, after being diagnosed with and admitted for Leukemia. He stayed at the hospital for nearly a month but returned in March for chemotherapy, in April for bone marrow transplant conditioning, a bone marrow transplant in May, and a fever in June. After his transplant, various complications and tests resulted from Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a condition that occurs when donor bone marrow or stem cells attack the recipient.

This family felt the full hardship of COVID-19 restrictions. His wife shared with us, “I’ll never forget how I drove (nearly 2 hours) and dropped him off…to go through the hardest thing in his life alone. I had to pull the car over (for a) good cry (before I drove home). Visitors were not allowed due to COVID-19.” She served as his daily caretaker and advocate once some visitor restrictions were lifted. Bedside meals were not allowed and masks were mandatory. Parking expenses inflated near the hospital, and lodging cost them nearly $3,500. She detailed their challenges, “Programs available prior to COVID-19 were no longer an option…closed to patients as they repurposed the rooms for healthcare workers who didn’t want to return to their families…a local bed and breakfast dedicated to transplant families also closed its door. Open homes through (rental) no longer could provide a safe place for transplant patients…The doctor requested (we) remain in isolation during COVID-19…I’m required to cook a “neutropenic” diet and ordering out is discouraged. I moved to a larger motel room with a kitchen available. I relied on food delivery for my groceries.”

Keep Swimming Foundation was pleased to provide this family with a $3,480 grant to alleviate the unexpected financial burden largely attributed to COVID-19 restrictions.

Family #2 - Nashville, TN - Recipients of a $3,250 Grant

A Tennessee baby was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) at twenty weeks in utero. This is a rare condition caused by a combination of four heart defects that are present at birth, requiring multiple surgeries. She had a full TOF repair and was admitted to the Cardiac Step-Down Unit for recovery.

Their Social Worker submitted a letter on behalf of the family. In part, it described the family’s non-medical expenses: “(The parents) have been utilizing and paying for local lodging throughout (their daughter’s) admission due to COVID-19 restrictions that only allow one parent to be present at the hospital daily. Her father has also been traveling back and forth…to work and visit with their other children…they have (also) had food, gas, and daily living expenses (to maintain) their bills at home.”

Keep Swimming Foundation’s Board of Directors are glad to provide a $3,250 grant to this family, as they stay strong for their baby and continue to keep hope. This amount reimburses all submitted expenses.

We are only able to provide these grants to families in need because of you, our amazing donors. Please consider clicking the button below to make a donation to Keep Swimming Foundation today so that we may continue our work as we head into 2021.

2020 Q1 Grant Recipients Announced!

For 2020 Q1, Keep Swimming Foundation’s Board of Directors selected four families to receive a combined $6,550 in financial aid. 

The lives of these families have been improved because of the incredible generosity of our donors. The following are the stories of the latest Keep Swimming Foundation grant recipients:

Family #1 – Fargo, ND – Recipients of a $3,000 Grant

In January 2019, this family’s North Dakota farm house burnt to the ground after a defective furnace exploded in their basement. The entire family was inside the home. The mother was able to find her daughter, who rushed outside to discover her husband. Both thought the other had grabbed their four-year-old son. Unfortunately, he was still in the home. The father made several attempts to rescue their son, causing him to sustain third degree burns on 58% of his body. Sadly, he was unable to find their child, who perished in their home. 

Shortly thereafter, the father was rushed to the nearest specialty burn center in Minnesota, where he is recovering to this day. His wife and mother have been at his bedside each day while a relative cares for and provides shelter for their daughter in North Dakota. While their community has rallied around their family to provide them with funds to build a new home, this grant will help both his mother and wife afford the hotel and bedside meal expenses associated with remaining at his bedside in Minnesota. 

Family #2 – Erie, PA – Recipients of a $1,800 Grant

In 2014, the wife of this Pennsylvania couple was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension. She received outpatient treatment via a Pittsburgh hospital until late 2018, when the doctors said they could no longer care for her worsening condition. Her case was transferred to a specialty hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. It was there that she began a series of tests to be added to the lung transplant wait list. Months later, in May 2019, she received her new lungs, but experienced a multitude of post-transplant complications. She has since been transferred multiple times between the hospital’s ICU and a patient-focused living facility, where she currently resides today.

Her husband, who is retired, moved to Cleveland to be alongside her in both the ICU room and the aforementioned living facility. However, due to COVID-19, he is no longer allowed to be in the hospital. He has since moved back to their Pennsylvania home, where he communicates with her daily.

This grant will enable him to cover many of the expenses incurred, particularly related to bedside meals and lodging, during their elongated out-of-state medical battle.

Family #3 – Warwick, RI – Recipients of a $1,000 Grant 

The infant daughter of this Rhode Island family was born with dozens of congenital medical conditions, requiring her to undergo six hospitalizations since birth. Two admissions occurred during this quarter. Her most recent hospitalization is still ongoing.

The child’s mother quit her job to oversee her daughter’s healthcare. Meanwhile, her father continues to maintain the family’s finances. Not only has he driven over two hours each day to visit his daughter in a Boston hospital, he has also taken off several days of work to be with his daughter. There have been instances in which it appeared she would not make it through the day or night. 

This grant helped the father cover his increased gasoline expenses and provided the mother with bedside meals while she spends her days with her daughter in the pediatric ICU.

Family #4 – Chicago, IL – Recipients of a $750 Grant 

In March 2019, the husband and father of this Chicago family was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). He underwent various treatments, including chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant throughout the spring and summer. In November 2019, his AML returned. Shortly after Christmas, he underwent his second stem cell transplant before being admitted for inpatient care in early January 2020 where he remained for several weeks until, sadly, he passed away in the Chicago hospital.

This grant has been provided to his wife to reimburse her for bedside meals and parking expenses, covering the full amount she requested. 

Keep Swimming Foundation would like to thank all of our wonderful donors for their continuous support, especially during the difficult time our country is facing, as a result of COVID-19. It is because of your generosity that we are able to continue helping families in their darkest hours.

 

 

2019 Q4 Grant Recipients Announced!

2019 Q4 Grant Recipients Announced!

Keep Swimming Foundation is pleased to announce five families who have been selected by the Board of Directors to receive a combined $14,300 in aid – the largest single quarter total provided in Keep Swimming Foundation’s history!

After voting to eliminate the $3,000 per family maximum grant threshold, Keep Swimming Foundation provided two families with $4,500 – the largest single grant ever provided.

2019 Q3 Grant Recipients Announced!

In total, $12,250 has been provided to families of critically ill individuals this quarter. Two families received a grant that is valued slightly higher than our traditional maximum grant value. Upon deliberation, the Board of Directors determined that the additional funds would significantly, positively change the outcome for two families whose loved one has either recently passed away or whose loved one is still fighting for their life across state lines.

2019 Q2 Grant Recipients Announced!

2019 Q2 Grant Recipients Announced!

It is with great pleasure that Keep Swimming Foundation announces the 2019 Q2 Grant Recipient families, for this was the first quarter in Keep Swimming Foundation’s history in which our Junior Board came together to help additional families in need.

In total, $8,700 has been provided to families of critically ill individuals this quarter. The following are the stories of the families who your generous donations have greatly impacted:

2019 Q1 Grant Recipients Announced!

2019 Q1 Grant Recipients Announced!

Keep Swimming Foundation is beyond thrilled to announce the recipients of our 2019 Q1 grant period! The following families experienced a financial hardship due to the non-medical debt they took on as a result of their loved one’s medical crisis, and were later selected by our Board of Directors to receive financial aid in their time of need.

In total, Keep Swimming Foundation’s Board of Directors selected five families this quarter to receive a combined $10,200 of financial relief.

2018 Q4 Grant Recipients Announced!

2018 Q4 Grant Recipients Announced!

Keep Swimming Foundation’s Board of Directors have selected three families to receive a combined $6,300 in financial aid for the foundations final quarter of 2018!

In yesterday’s announcement, Keep Swimming Foundation shared how the organization was able to double its maximum potential, grant value from $1,500 to $3,000! This change was made possible by an incredible influx of donations from the foundation’s supporters this past holiday season! 

2018 Q3 Grant Recipients Announced!

Keep Swimming Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of the 2018 third quarter grants.

This quarter proved to be a milestone for Keep Swimming Foundation, as the success of our Inaugural Gala (and an influx of private donations) has enabled us to grant $5,900 to 5 families – a $2,650 increase from the previous quarter!

Each of the following families have faced a life-threatening medical crisis and have been in the hospital for at least twenty-one consecutive days between 7/1/18 and 9/30/18. 

The following are their stories:

Family #1 - Houston, TX – Recipients of a $1,500 Grant:

In the fall of 2017, this Houston family’s son was a junior in high school when he collapsed on the sidelines during a Friday night football game. He was placed in an ambulance and rushed to the local hospital where he was diagnosed with a severe brain bleed and had a portion of his skull removed to alleviate pressure on his brain. In the coming days, he would fight for his life while his mother, sister and father waited at his bedside before being airlifted to a hospital in Arkansas. Despite being told to “pull the plug”, his mother persisted that her son would defy the odds. In December, with the help of therapists, their son was able to walk out of the Arkansas hospital. The mother of the family underwent countless hours of training so that she could care for her son in the comfort of their northeast Texas home. In June, he was accepted into a rehabilitation program in Houston. Family members are not allowed to stay with their loved one at the rehabilitation facility overnight. In turn, to cut down on costs, the mother relocated five hours from the family home to a trailer park in Houston so that she could lower the cost of living and offer her son love and support during visiting hours. This grant will cover many of the costs associated with his mother’s stay in Houston, such as trailer park fees, bedside meals, parking at the rehabilitation facility and gasoline for her drive to-and-from her new home and son’s bed.

Family #2 – St. Louis, MO – Recipients of a $1,500 Grant

This family’s story begins in April 2018. The father of the family fell from a tall ladder while at work and suffered many lower-body bone injuries and later underwent surgery and several months of rehabilitation. Throughout rehabilitation, his health began to decline, leading his doctors to run several tests in early August. It was then that they discovered his liver and kidneys were also severely damaged during the fall and he was immediately admitted to a hospital in the downtown area. His daughter (his only child and present family member) is a nurse in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Since his hospitalization, her life has revolved around the care of others. When she is not working her typical twelve-hour shift, she is driving from Milwaukee to St. Louis so that she can oversee her father’s care as his health rapidly declines. In recent weeks, she has switched jobs to a hospital one hour outside of St. Louis and relocated to the St. Louis region so that she can assure that her father is receiving the best possible healthcare. This grant will cover the entirety of the money she has spent since August on gasoline, bedside meals and parking, and will provide a small amount to cover her next tank of gas.

Family #3– Philadelphia, PA – Recipients of a $1,500 Grant:

In November 2017, the husband of this northeast couple was admitted to a downtown Philadelphia hospital where he learned of his need for a heart and lung transplant. After months of waiting, he received the gift of life. Unfortunately, he experienced several post-transplant complications and remains in the hospital as of October 2018.  His wife has been near his bedside almost every day. However, due to the rising debt they were experiencing, she had to take a part-time job so that she could afford to be near him whenever she isn’t working. The family’s social worker informed us that he has made great progress and will soon be discharged. The necessary rehabilitation to overcome his deconditioning means that they must live nearby as opposed to driving several hours each day. This grant will help the couple pay down a large portion of debt that the wife has accrued from parking at the hospital, driving to-and-from her job and the hospital, as well as the countless meals she has consumed at her husband’s bedside.

Family #4 – Columbus, OH – Recipients of a $650 Grant:

This Ohio family immigrated to America not long before their infant son was born and diagnosed with end-stage liver failure.  After undergoing a series of tests, the family was relocated to a hospital in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania two and half hours from their home. In July, their son received his lifesaving liver transplant and was discharged to a nearby facility so that he can receive close supervision from the family’s medical team. The father has been unable to work since the early summer and they are in dire need of financial assistance. This grant will cover the family’s lodging as well as many meals and gasoline expenses.

Family #5 – Lexington, KY – Recipients of a $750 Grant:

Ten weeks prior to receiving his heart transplant, this family’s infant son was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and taken to a hospital in Cincinnati, OH – two hours from the family’s home. The child’s mother, who is also the sole provider, was required to take a leave of absence from her job so that she could be near her son and also care for her eleven-year-old son in the process. Like Family #4, their son will be required to remain near the hospital for management throughout the coming months. This grant will help by covering a large portion of their lodging expenses in Cincinnati.

Keep Swimming Foundation is only able to help these families because of the generous donations from our supporters. We will be selecting families in a few short months. Your donation will be utilized when we help families dealing with a medical crisis during the holidays.

Please click the button below to help us help families in need!

Keep Swimming Foundation Increases Grant Allowance!

Recently, Keep Swimming Foundation announced an increase in the value of grants for families in need.

Beginning Q3 of 2018 (7/1/18-9/30-18), all families who apply for a Keep Swimming Foundation grant will be afforded the opportunity to acquire up to $1,500 in financial relief (a $500 increase from the initial $1,000 grant maximum).

With this increase, Keep Swimming Foundation can have a significantly larger impact on the families we aid, such as the McKeon family, who received one of the first Keep Swimming Foundation grants in the foundation’s history.

Keep Swimming Foundation is able to help these families because of the generous donations from our incredible donors. To help families, like the McKeon family, please click here to make a donation today.

Learn More About the McKeon Family’s Story:

2018 Q2 Grant Recipients Announced!

Keep Swimming Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 second quarter grants! Keep Swimming Foundation provides financial support to the families of critically ill patients so that they can afford the non-medical costs associated with long-term inpatient care.

The second quarter grants have been awarded to families who have faced an extended inpatient hospital stay between April 1, 2018 and June 30, 2018. After reviewing dozens of applications, the Board of Directors selected four families:

Family #1 - Milwaukee, WI - Recipients of a $1,000 Grant

This Milwaukee family's teenage son was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. His mother, a single parent of three children and the sole wage earner, is on the verge of losing her family's home after needing to cut back on her work schedule due to her son's condition. Her son has spent nearly sixty consecutive days in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy and various other cancer-related treatments. Upon learning she would become the recipient of a Keep Swimming Foundation grant, through a translator, the mother exclaimed, "God bless your foundation! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Family #2 - Los Angeles, CA - Recipients of a $1,000 Grant

Our second Q2 family is, sadly, very familiar with the inner workings of a hospital. Their four year-old daughter has spent over 154 combined days in critical care dating back to August 2017. Their most recent stay began in early May 2018, which lasted just under seventy days. Their daughter is battling a very rare condition called Fibrodysplasia Ossifications Progressiva. In a letter from their physician, the family was described as "A wonderful family" and "Amazing Advocates for [their daughter]". Upon learning of the news, their nurse, (who nominated the family) became emotional and shared with us that on the same day they were learning of the $1,000 grant, they were receiving a surprise from their medical team and being sent home.

Family #3 - Philadelphia, PA - Recipients of a $750 Grant

The third grant of Q2 has been provided to a family in Philadelphia whose daughter suffers from Cystic Fibrosis and is currently listed and waiting for a double lung transplant. Like most individuals on the transplant wait list, their daughter has been in-and-out of the hospital undergoing various treatments as her condition changes over time. Throughout this quarter, the family has endured numerous hospital stays ranging from two to three weeks. One of their daughter's admissions lasted exactly twenty-one days, thus meeting the application requirements. This grant helps cover their daily hospital parking expense of $21 per day, as well as their constant need for gasoline, which they go through often during their daily two-hour drive back-and-forth from home to the hospital.

Family #4 - Chicago, IL - Recipient of a $500 Grant

The final family to receive a grant this quarter is from the suburbs of Chicago, IL. Their son, a college student, was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in early 2016. After nearly a year of treatment, he learned that he was in remission later that year. He returned to college, but then learned in late December 2017 that the cancer had returned. Once again, he left college and began undergoing outpatient treatment. Finally, in May 2018, he was admitted to a Chicago hospital for several rounds of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. He is currently completing the first week of his doctor-ordered 100 days of isolation, which will be briefly served in the hospital before being sent home. The family submitted several receipts for gasoline and parking pertaining to the period of time related to his stem cell transplant. This grant covers the total amount submitted.

Keep Swimming Foundation is able to help these families because of the donations received from its incredibly generous donors. Each day, the foundation receives applications from families across the USA whose financial and medical struggles are similar to the stories shared with you today.

Help us continue to help families by making a donation today!

Are you located in the Midwest? Join us for our Inaugural Gala on August 24th!

2018 Q1 Grant Recipients Announced!

2018 Q1 Grant Recipients Announced!

The foundation received a large amount of grant requests from patients and their families throughout the country. After analyzing each of the applications, Keep Swimming Foundation's Board of Directors selected four families who will receive varying levels of funding to help supplement their rising debt as they care for their loved one.

 The following are the stories of these families.