Dear Family, Friends and Supporters,

As 2025 draws to a close, we have so much to be grateful for – with much of it due to your support, involvement or volunteerism.  As our mission statement says, we strive to help older teens and young adults “reduce isolation, decrease financial burden and nourish hope”.  You have been integral in making those three things happen.

Financially, the number of free room nights provided to patients and caregivers in 2025 exceeded 2024 by 5%, and was the largest total since before Covid.  Add in other incidentals like some meals, parking costs, ground transportation, hotel room support when we couldn’t get a patient in the house and other expenditures, and we have helped those already dealing with burdensome healthcare costs, lost income, travel expenses, etc., save over a million dollars in expense related to their diagnosis.

Just as importantly of course is isolation reducing community and psycho-social programming which continues to provide a much needed escape from the daily worries of cancer related treatments.  Friendships are being built at our monthly Creative Corner Arts & Crafts night, where patients and caregivers enjoy bonding as much as they do whatever project they are working on.  Relaxing & restorative group yoga (led by Pam for 10 years now), meals at the house or events like our S’mores Outdoors gathering on the patio at DHOH earlier this month (see photos below) provide a much needed respite.  Caregiver Coffee support group twice a month (virtually) allow caregivers the chance to share their thoughts and worries, and learn from others about treatment options and other valuable information.  And the list goes on.

We invite you to join us in supporting young adult cancer fighters and survivors.  Your year end gift of any amount is appreciated beyond words!

With deepest gratitude,

Roger & Dawn Kenneavy

Co-founders and Dan’s mom and dad

YA’s and caregivers gathered on the DHOH patio on December 6, for our annual S’mores Outdoors event.  Patients and caregivers enjoyed meeting new folks, sharing homemade chili and soup, making Christmas and holiday ornaments, and of course – S’MORES!!  And a little icing on the…s’mores…Mary, founder of Haynie Spirit Bone Cancer Foundation, dropped off a generous grant!

S’mores Outdoors!

Thank you to the generosity of the Phillips 66 team for their supply drive in connection with their DAN program.  They helped stock our pantry and provided a much-needed upgrade of pots and pans!!  We are grateful to our primary contact Jessica, who is dealing with her own cancer diagnosis.  Prayers appreciated for her!

Thank you – again! – to the Liberty Mutual team for their volunteerism to beautify the grounds at DHOH and then organize supplies.  What a fun and energetic group!!  We LOVE all our volunteers!

Thank you to the following foundations & institutions for their generous support in 2025!

• Ascend Cares Foundation
• Sky High for Kids
• Tray McCampbell Foundation
• Medallion Foundation
• Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation
• George & Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation
• Haynie Spirit Bone Cancer Foundation
• The Isler Family Foundation
• William Stamps Farish Fund
• Harry S. & Isabel C. Cameron Foundation
• Anne & Edgar Lackner Charitable Foundation

Coupled with generous gifts from others like The Fracht Group, the Wilkes Family, the Kilgard Family, PF Engineers and many others, our support remains strong for the underserved older teen and young adult cancer community.  But we can certainly use more help!

We love our YA guests and caregivers!  Here are just a few smiling faces…

What a tremendous evening celebrating 15 years of support for AYA cancer fighters at the Junior League of Houston on September 27!  Our featured speaker – Sarah Whitmire, licensed professional counselor, on the subject of The Art of Healing!  We we’re honored that she brought along her dad, Houston Mayor John Whitmire, as her guest.  Thank you to everyone for their support, including past guest Mandy and the McCampbell family joining us from Iowa to offer a testimonial (and a donation from The Tray McCampbell Foundation!) 

BOARD CHANGES – The start of 2025 saw us say goodbye to our longtime treasurer Rick Rivera, who followed Steve McKnight in stepping down.  We are grateful for their friendship and past leadership of the DHOH mission!  However, we’re very happy to have two new(er) members take over for them – Sarah Yoder, VP of Finance at PSC Group is our new treasurer, and Jeff Livarchik, Business Process Efficiency Engineer at Lyondellbasell Industries is also part of our Finance Committee.