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Meet Our Families
Welcome, McKenna
From just outside Eugene, Oregon comes McKenna Matteson (age 2) and her mother, Laura and grandmother. They will be joined by big brother Caleb (age 4 1/2) for a month or so. The kids also have a 17 year old brother and their dad at home. They are currently staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Brookline. McKenna is already a Christopher's Haven "star" having been at the Proton Center when the photographer was there to shoot pictures for the November 10th fundraiser. McKenna has brain cancer. Her favorite characters are Dora and Barney. Caleb loves Superman.
Welcome, Jerry
Coming in from Long Island, NY -- East Patchogue -- to be precise, is the Betancourt family. Jerry Betancourt IV is a 15 year old who is being treated at the proton center. He will be here with his dad Jerry III, mother Karen and sister Shannon (14). Jerry is a huge baseball fan -- the Mets are his team. The family loves water parks and were asking about good beaches to visit. There will be two significant birthdays during their stay -- Jerry will turn 16 on July 24 and Shannon will turn 15 on August 2.
Noah Walters
The Walters family leaving 10-2C posted the following on their CaringBridge website:
A huge thank you to Dan Olsen (founder of Christopher's Haven), Martha Welsh, the Cerullo family and friends, and all of the volunteers for allowing us to stay at the apartment. I can't express enough our deep gratitude and how this apartment has connected our family again. For almost 2 years now we have not really felt like we have had an opportunity to enjoy each other as a family because Adam was always away from us due to appointments. This apartment has allowed us to be a family which we had been praying for. With Noah's limitations, it was hard being in a hotel at first because we could not put him on the floor and he had to sit on the bed with one of us to play. 7 weeks of that would have been unpleasant and not to mention no traveling to and from that hotel. Thank you again Christopher's Haven for giving our family a place to stay. We hope that the dream of a house for families will happen soon!
Keep Faith!
For more from Noah's web site, click here.
Becky Torres (age 15)
Becky is a self-described "typical teenager" who loves to draw, is interested in science, and missed going to high school. Becky and a strong network of friends and family are the 3rd guests of Christopher's Haven, a two bedroom apartment in Boston's Charles River Park, just across the street from the MassGeneral Hospital for Children where Becky is receiving this unique treatment for brain cancer.
Click here to read her story from the Town Crier.
Christopher’s Haven Opens Doors to Second Family
On Sunday, October 8, 2006, Bella and her parents moved into Christophers Haven while she receives treatments at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Isabella Parrish (age 3 1/2) and her family, mother Becky, father Jacob, grandmother Cinda and grandfather Tim are the most recent arrivals at Christopher’s Haven at Ten Emerson Place in Boston. Bella, as she is known to friends and family made herself at home immediately dancing around the apartment with the toys and stuffed animals that had been left for her by “Christopher’s Angels”, a group of volunteers who also provide refrigerator staples and replenish the cupboards between family stays.
Click here to see photos of Bella at the Girls Authority concert.
On Thursday, Oct 5, 2006, our wonderful friend, Kennis Nix (7) completed her treatment at the Francis Burr Proton Therapy Center and headed home to Alabama for the first time in six weeks. The Nix family made several great improvements to Christopher’s Haven while they were here. They donated a television with built in video and DVD players for the living room and left a great basket of crafts with a lovely note to the next child guest. They also established a new tradition by leaving a guest book on the coffee table with this note:
“10-5-06 -- Kasha + Kassidy + Kennis + Ken Nix -Tonight is our last night in this apartment. We have thought about all the wonderful people we have met along the way. We hope the next family enjoys Christopher’s Haven as much as we have done. We believe we are so blessed to have a wonderful place to stay while so many of our friends continue to pay for a hotel. We hope everyone signs this book as often as they like during their stay...Thank you again for giving us such a wonderful gift....”
We will stay in touch with the Nix family and wish Kennis all the best during the balance of her treatment. We know you are happy to be back at home and school with your friends.
Christopher’s Haven Opens Doors to First Family
Labor Day, 2006, marked a major milestone for Christopher's Haven-a home for kids when cancer hits home. On Wednesday, we hosted an open house for supporters at the new apartment at Ten Emerson Place in Charles River Park, adjacent to the MassGeneral Hospital for Children. On Thursday, we held a focus group with families of children being treated for cancer at the Proton Therapy Center and learned about ways to create a supportive environment for their comfort and healing.
On Saturday, September 2nd, I am pleased to report that we welcomed our first family. 7 year old Kennis Nix and her family -- father and mother, Ken and Kasha and 4 year old sister Kassidy, moved into Christopher's Haven at 10 Emerson Place for several weeks while Kennis receives outpatient proton therapy treatment. Kennis has a website for her friends and family to follow her progress and communicate with her.
We are excited to have met such a wonderful family.