Family Stories: Tinae Sterling

Family House Family Stories: Meet Tinae Sterling, a Family House mother of a brain tumor survivor

Family House Family Stories: Cailean Sterling, Brain Tumor Survivor

Watch the latest Family House Family Stories video: Cailean Sterling, Brain Tumor Survivor

The Need for a New Family House

This new video features Holly James and her family, talking about their experience at Family House and why the new Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House at Mission Bay will be so important for families of pediatric patients receiving treatment at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital.

Learn more about the Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/mission-bay.html

Family House Family Stories: Frankie's Family

Watch the most recent Family House Family Stories video, Frankie's Family.

Hana's Home

Watch the latest Family House Family Stories video, "Hana's Home"

Watch more Family Stories videos at https://www.youtube.com/FamilyHouseInc

Remembering Jordan Stuart - A Fundraiser

Courtney Stuart reached out to Family House in January about doing something to celebrate the memory of her brother, Jordan, who passed away in 1992. We brainstormed some ideas, and Courtney decided to do a gift-card and pillow drive for the families currently staying at Family House, “to help keep his memory alive, and of course to give back to the place that brought such peace and faith to my family.” She raised over $900 in donations that were delivered just in time for Jordan’s birthday, on Valentine’s Day. He would have been 24 years old this year.

Q&A with Courtney Stuart

When did you stay at Family House, and how old were you at the time?

I stayed at Family House between May of 1991 and May of 1992 while my little brother, Jordan, was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation.  He was 2 when he lost his battle and I was 4. Although I only lived at Family House for a year, it was much more than a house to me - It was a HOME.

Even though I was so young, I always wanted to be the only one pushing Jordi’s stroller or holding him. As a 4-year-old, I loved having a baby “of my own” to take care of. After he passed, I wore Jordan’s clothes almost every day. I went from being dressed in pink dresses every day to opting to only wear his blue or red clothes. I actually used his blankets as blankets on my bed until about two years ago.

What do you remember most about staying at Family House?

Well, the whole reason this fundraising drive started for Jordan's birthday is because my dad had sent me a link about Family House. Although I still can't recall Jordan much from my memories (because I was so young at the time), I was somehow able to retain fond memories of Family House... the sounds of the Muni train going by and how the lights used to flicker and slightly dim when it passed, the blue padded basement and all of the games we would play and fun we would have down there (plus we could jump all around and not get hurt because it seemed the whole room was padded)!  I doubt it still looks like that now, but the memories stay the same. Just a lot of subtle memories but all of them made me feel at PEACE.  Family House brought normalcy into my life at a time when my whole family was falling apart.


A year after Jordan passed, in 1993, my father started the Jordan Stuart Memorial Golf Tournament to raise awareness and support for families of children with pediatric cancer. In the early years, I would help out at by babysitting kids in the daycare at the tournament, singing for guests during the banquet dinner, photographing all of the players and events of the day to post on the website, or coordinating and picking up donations for the silent and live auctions, and whatever other tasks were needed.

In 1995, we met Kyra Pillsbury and her family, and she passed away from a brain tumor the following year. I remember thinking how unfair it was and how I couldn't believe TWO kids had died of cancer. Her passing brought two great men together - my dad, and Kyra's uncle, Dave Pillsbury. When Dave joined and it turned into the Jordan AND Kyra golf tournament... it opened many new doors of opportunity on a national level.  The word was spread more, which ultimately led to more donations. Our tournament "family" grew, it became something people anticipated every year- something people traveled great distances to attend. Together as a duo - I’m certain they could accomplish almost anything.

Tell us about the donations drive you organized this year to commemorate Jordan's birthday.

I posted a status on my Facebook page to see how many people might be interested in contributing Safeway gift cards. I honestly thought everybody would ignore the post, or that maybe some close family members might want to help out (even though they already donate every year through our golf tournament). I was shocked when we hit $200 worth of gift cards, so I posted again & stated that I hope we could make a goal of $1,000- I figured maybe then we'd get HALF of the goal. In the end, we raised over $900 worth of gift cards/monetary donations, plus 7 pillows - better than I ever hoped!

What are your plans for the future?

This fundraising drive has been totally inspiring to me and I'm really hoping to make this a yearly thing from now on! I'm sure the needs of Family House will change as the years pass, but I'd love to help out in any way I can. I want the families that are living there to feel the same comfort, hope, love, and inspiration that my family and I felt when we stayed there (and ever since).


Thank you, Courtney and friends, for your generous contributions to the lives of families currently staying at Family House! Your support means so much!

Click here to learn more about Family House families:
http://www.familyhouseinc.org/family-stories.html

20th Annual Jordan & Kyra Memorial Golf Tournament

 Perfect weather, good friends, and a great cause: the 20th Annual Jordan and Kyra Memorial Golf Tournament on Friday, October 18th. Picture getting together with 150 of your golf buddies for your annual day-in-the-sun, all benefiting the Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation.  The Jordan & Kyra team went all-out with decorations at the Seascape Golf Club in Aptos, California - including photo boards with pictures from the last 2 decades.

The Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation was created in memory of Jordan Stuart and Kyra Pillsbury, and raises money for brain tumor research, and to provide free housing at Family House in San Francisco. Both Jordan and Kyra, along with their families, were guests at Family House before they lost their battles with cancer.  This annual event is a great way to cherish their memories, and keep their playful spirits alive through hope, dignity, and comfort of families currently undergoing treatment for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Congratulations to the Jordan & Kyra team for putting on such a successful event, and to all of the donors, volunteers, and attendees - this event shines because of you!

To see more event photos, visit:
http://on.fb.me/1dEjHpP

To learn more about the Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation, visit: http://www.jordanandkyra.org/

Family House Family Stories videos: Margo and Jimmy

Watch the latest Family House Family Stories video: Margo and Jimmy

Jimmy has been battling Medulloblastoma for the last 7 years.  He's a fighter, and is looking forward to a bright future.

Click here to learn more about Family House families:
http://www.familyhouseinc.org/family-stories.html 

Family House Family Stories Videos

Have you seen the latest Family House Family Stories videos?  Since being introduced in June (Nino's Story), we have released two more Family Stories videos - Amenah & Anthony, and Jack's Tale.  While each story is very different, they share the same themes - love, community, compassion, gratefulness, and strength.

We plan to release a new Family Story video each month - be sure to subscribe to the Family House Youtube Channel and sign up to receive our newsletters.

Please view and share these videos - by sharing the mission of Family House, it builds our community, enabling us to help even more families in need.  Thank you!

Click here to learn more about Family House families:
http://www.familyhouseinc.org/family-stories.html 

Introducing Family Stories Videos

Introducing Family House Family Stories - videos that feature the brave and inspiring stories of families of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.  Watch the first Family Stories video - Nino's Story:

http://www.familyhouseinc.org/family-stories.html

My Fight Against Cancer - Ariana Argueta ’12

As part of the UCSF community, we are privileged to know people that have experienced hardships while having to relocate for treatment. All of our families come from at least 50 miles away similar to this family. The Argueta family allowed us to share this story with the Family House community.   

My Fight Against Cancer

Ariana Argueta ’12

September 11, 2009, was the day my world was turned upside-down. Typical teenage girls usually think about boys, grades, and sports—all normal things that I was focused on, too, prior to my own 9/11. That was the day I was diagnosed with brain cancer, and, from then until now, cancer has been on my mind most of the time.

When I first heard the word “cancer” two years ago, I knew the stereotypes associated with people who have it, but I didn’t really understand what was going to happen to me. I told myself that I might just have surgery, miss a few weeks of school, and then get back to life as usual. At the same time, I immediately started worrying about losing all my hair. Though I knew it would grow back, I also knew I would have to look like a different person for some time. The doctor said I would have a little scar. It wasn’t long before the reality of what I was facing became clear.

My surgery took seventeen hours to completely remove the tumor. I later found out my parents had been told I might not walk, talk, or eat on my own again afterward. My treatment was just getting started.

In the year after my surgery, I experienced monthly chemotherapy and radiation as an inpatient at UCSF Hospital. During the first six weeks of my treatment, my parents and I had to live in San Francisco. We had to leave my younger sister and Grandma behind. We had to leave our normal lives behind. Due to the radiation therapy, I did lose a significant amount of my hair. The little scar the doctor said I would have did not turn out to be quite so little. My self-esteem took a big hit. On top of that, I was underweight; I had a significant weight loss of 27 pounds, and there was no easy way of gaining it back when I had no appetite at all. I felt that I had lost my identity, and I realized this was still just the beginning of a long battle.

Once I came to terms with losing my hair and the other changes in my appearance, I began to worry about all the homework assignments and confirmation classes I would be missing. I wondered whether or not I would ever catch up. School has always been a top priority for me. Thus, falling behind in classes and not being able to graduate with my class was one of my biggest concerns. Although I knew I had the support of my teachers, missing so much class affected my confidence in my ability to do well in school. And the surgery and the cancer treatments did make learning harder for me than it was before—particularly memorization. But I came to school when I could and kept going.

I was asked recently which was worse— getting diagnosed with cancer or going through the treatment—and I have to say that the fear and the uncertainty around getting diagnosed might have been the worst of it. But I never asked, “Why me?” I didn’t dwell on that. Once the treatment started, I just took each day as it came.

Besides the sickness itself and the different treatments (which also made me sick), what was hard for me was the realization that my relationships were changing. Old friendships disappeared. People I had been close to moved on. I started to feel that people feared me. New friendships that I made in the hospital turned out to be very short-lived. A baby boy I knew died after six months. My family and I were always committed to the Catholic Church, but these experiences made my faith more and more important to me. And that brings me to a bright spot in my story.

In March 2010, I was interviewed by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They asked me what my greatest wish was. I am not sure how I would have answered that before I had cancer, but material things interested me a lot less than they used to, so I told them that, if I could go anywhere in the world and meet anyone, I would like to meet the Pope, who is so special to my religion. Somehow, the Make-A-Wish Foundation made it happen, and on October 20, 2010, my family and I went to Rome, and I had an audience with the Pope. When I was asked about my impressions of the event, I remembered that I really couldn’t understand much of what the Holy Father said to me. His German accent was very strong, there was classical music playing loudly in the background, and people in the crowd were shouting, “Papa! Papa!” But it didn’t matter that I couldn’t quite make out what he said. The Pope’s gaze was very powerful. There was something about his eyes. And when he took my hand, I noticed his very large gold ring set with a red stone. I had the feeling that this was the closest I could get on Earth to meeting God. It was truly magical. The Pope’s blessing left me feeling empowered and really has helped me cope with my difficulties.

This is a very small snapshot of my life in the last two years. During my fight against cancer, I have realized that my faith and family are the most important things to me. Through the difficulties, I have learned a lot about myself. My faith in God has grown immensely. I have learned to put worries like regaining my weight, growing my hair, and graduating with my class in His hands. I have also learned to truly value my family, because they have demonstrated unconditional love and support for me. Cancer may have changed me forever, but it does not define me. The way I choose to live does. I have learned not to worry about the small things in life and literally to live one day at a time, because we can’t control yesterday or tomorrow. Today is the only reality we can live in. We have to make it count.

Ariana Loren Argueta, our "Ari", was given to us by God on February 3, 1994. On September 11, 2009 Ariana was diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer and returned home to our Holy Father on November 17, 2012. 

Click here to learn more about Family House families:
http://www.familyhouseinc.org/family-stories.html

The Fernandes Family Story

The Fernandes Family

The Fernandes' journey in San Francisco and with Family House began in 2010 when their son Frankie was found to have a tumor at the base of his neck. Frank Fernandes and his wife Diane would like to share Frankie's story, from his point of view:

"Hi,
My name is Frankie and when I was 5 years old I was having a lot of neck pain, so my mommy and daddy took me to the doctor. It all started about June 18th when I started having this really bad neck pain. The pain would come and go. We went on our family vacation to Disneyworld the last week of June and I didn't feel real good, I was tired and my neck kept bothering me. On 4th of July I had a really bad episode and my parents took me to the ER at Kaweah Delta, but they couldn't figure out what was wrong so they gave me some motrin and tylenol, and sent me home. Two days later I went to see my doctor. Dr. McNich did some x-Rays of my neck and a swab of my throat everything looked normal and she was stumped, so she sent us to Childrens Hospital in Madera. On July 12, 2010 we found out, from the doctors at Valley Childrens in Madera, that I had a tumor at the base of my brain. They decided to send us to UCSF San Francisco since they are the best for these types of tumors. This is where we learned I had a tumor called a Clival Chordoma and I would need to have surgery to remove it. After a couple months at UCSF I then underwent 8 weeks of Proton radiation treatment so that my tumor would not come back."

Frankie at UCSF hospital

Unfortunately, as is the case with many of our families, this was only the beginning of the treatment process Frankie would need to undergo. Over the course of the last two years, the family has kept a personal website including journals that they wrote to detail day to day struggles and triumphs over the course of Frankie's treatment, as well as Family House and its importance to them (see journal from 3-21-2012). Frank and Diane would love to pass their website info on to all, so everyone can read their journals. Please visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/frankiefernandes to learn more about the Fernandes family's story!