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Being pre-med at CU Denver, Joanna was interested in getting involved with her community to learn more about the needs of local populations. Living only five minutes from Brent’s Place pediatric campus, she realized she had the perfect opportunity to give back right in her own backyard.

“I never realized how important long term care was,” she said, speaking to the lack of discussion about aftercare in many of her classes. “What happens after they’re diagnosed? Brent’s Place is a cool opportunity for families living far from treatment. There’s a space for them to be close to the hospital.”

The access families have to life-saving medical treatment is close to Joanna’s heart and the reason she’s chosen a career in the healthcare field. “The inequality the Hispanic population faces really drives me,” she said, adding that due to socio-economic inequity and language barriers, Hispanic patients often don’t receive the care they desperately need. “I know I want to help the community, especially locally. These people around me feel like my own family.”

In her role as a Front Desk volunteer, Joanna is the first face many families see on their daily medical journey, providing a smile, guidance, and compassion for each of our residents. We’re so grateful to her for volunteering her time to the families of Brent’s Place and wish her success in her future career goals!

July got wild with Zookeeper Dave, who visited our Aurora campus for the first time since 2019. In addition to more than 25 years of working with all manner of wild animals at the Denver Zoo, Dave is an author, artist, and passionate conservationist. He brought that same dedication to our pediatric residents with personalized presentations about the importance of conservation with the aid of fossils, bones, and even a gigantic four-pound elephant molar! Each resident left with their own set of books and a new understanding of how to be an animal advocate.

While COVID limited visits from program partners like Dave, he’s thrilled to be back, meeting residents outside. “I really feel the community here,” he said.

While Dave’s passion for protecting animals has been a lifelong pursuit, the effort was formalized in 2014 with the formation of the Katie Adamson Conservation Foundation, named in honor of a friend and conservation ally of Dave’s who passed away from Ewing sarcoma at age 25. Just one year later, Dave began making regular visits to Brent’s Place to share his message and meet the residents, many of whom are navigating similar paths to the one Katie traveled.

The similarities between KACF and Brent’s Place are part of what keeps Dave coming back, year after year. “We’re both creating something special and lasting out of grief,” he says. “In Brent’s and Katie’s names, we carry on.”

We’re so grateful to Dave and KACF for bringing this message of hope and resilience to the families of Brent’s Place. You can learn more about the KACF here.

Meet Mary, volunteer extraordinaire! An Aurora native, Mary has been donating her time and talents to Brent’s Place for years. From meal support to our winter holiday gift extravaganza, Mary has seen it all.

“Some people know why they were put here,” Mary says. “Me? I was put on this Earth to help.”

And with a background in both nursing and catering, she knows the importance of nourishing families navigating the uncertainty of a medical emergency.

As a meal support volunteer, Mary puts her culinary skills to work ensuring families receive a hot, fresh dinner. In June, Mary worked side-by-side with her daughter and grandson to serve up sweet and sour chicken dinners for over 100 people! Their afternoon of hard work made a huge impact on caregivers, relieving them of the financial and psychological stress of providing a nourishing meal that night.

Mary also serves up hope and healing once a week by dropping off hot, fresh meals to in-patient families at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Often, in-patient families have little time, energy, and money to devote to eating healthy meals, let alone access to a kitchen to prepare a meal, so delivered meals is a huge help. These short, one-hour shifts mean Mary can make an impact, even with a busy schedule.

“Seeing the families is wonderful,” she says, describing the moment she hands a hot meal to our residents. “Especially when they learn I’m bringing them pizza!”

Using just a few hours of your day, you can deliver compassion to families as a Meal Support volunteer. Learn more about these opportunities below.

Earlier this month, families had a chance to make their mark on a super cool Corvette! Owner Adam and volunteers Angy and Naomi provided stencils, a special rubber-based paint, and some helpful hints to pediatric residents before they began to spray away. From sugar skulls to freehanded designs, family members added their own unique touches to this mobile fundraising canvas. Once complete, Adam will drive the masterpiece for the rest of the year, visiting car shows and local events to raise funds for cancer research and support services.

Adam has been offering his Corvette to creative Brent's Place families since 2015 as a tribute to his wife, Dee Jai, who passed away from stomach cancer in 2004.

"She picked the car out and it has lots of memories for us," Adam said. "Dee Jai would have liked what we're doing a lot, and so I always put a dragonfly on it somewhere for her."

Prepping the car for painting is a multi-day process, with an entire day devoted to peeling off the previous year's design. Adam then painstakingly covers the original paint with several layers of rubber coating and takes steps to protect the tires, windows, and detail work. Three to four days later, it's ready for the creativity of our families.

"Often people want to memorialize someone or honor someone they're caring for," Adam said of the breadth of designs. "And really, I think it's cathartic. For me, too."

We're so grateful to Adam, Angy, and Naomi for providing this fun treat for our families and we can't wait to see them next year.

Ready to share what inspires you to volunteer at Brent’s Place? Share your service story here for a chance to be featured!