2007. The year the first iPhone was launched, Barry Bonds broke the home run record, and The Sopranos aired its final episode. It was also the year Laurie Howard’s son, Logan, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Logan was 11 at the time, and had to be taken out of school to undergo chemo and radiation. It was a lonely and frightening time – he was removed from his friends, activities, and his childhood.
While Logan’s family was at the hospital, they found out about our Art from the Heart Program. Logan was assigned his own team of volunteers who asked him what his “dream room” would look like. Based on Logan’s wishes, the team completely transformed his room at his home in Fairfield, dressing it with soft new carpeting, walls repainted with Logan’s favorite color, a comfy new bed, colorful drapes, and an immersive mural painted on the wall of his favorite baseball team – the New York Yankees. Logan’s mom, Laurie, remembers, “The Circle of Care volunteers really went out of their way to help. The new room gave us a fantastic feeling. Everything was new and bright. It helped Logan move past the darkness.”
Fast forward to 2023. Logan is now grown up, cancer-free, and working from home. Laurie recently started a new job and learned about a foundation at her company that donates a portion of their profits to local charities. Remembering what Circle of Care did for her son all those years ago, she filled out an application nominating us to be one of these charities, and her company approved a $10,000 donation! Since it’s been 16 years since we last heard from Laurie, she wanted to surprise us. And surprise us, she did! She showed up at our Barn this fall, jumping for joy, with the check in her hand. “I really wanted to give back,” explains Laurie, “It was exciting and fun to see the reaction on everyone’s faces. It’s kind of like being part hero for a day. It’s amazing to help like this, but I’m not the hero; my company is.”
Surprises like this are a touching reminder of how people and their companies can give back, and how easy it can be to help others. Thank you, Laurie, for remembering us and sharing Logan's room makeover's lasting impact!
