Giving back - my life's purpose
Our vacation to the beach entailed having the kids stay in the condo so my husband Mark could drop me off at the hospital for a day of Arsenic Trioxide IV drip. He would leave me for the day and then take the kids to the beach. As the sun was setting, Mark would come to pick me up at the hospital. Three days into this process, I failed the pretesting. The Doctor told me that my heart could not take another dose and my platelets were dangerously low. My platelet count was 4. A count this low can be deadly as it can cause spontaneous bleeding with no clotting. The hospital staff informed me that there were NO platelets available. They further commented that a ship of sailors was due in port the next day. In the event that any of the sailors donated blood, I would be number 8 on the waiting list.
I called Mark and told him the situation and then called Katie Hincher at IU Medical Center. She could not believe what I was saying. She instructed me to get in the car and drive directly to IU Medical Center to my chair where the blood products would be waiting. Having been cared for by the Indiana Blood Center, I realized I had a false sense of security. I had no idea how lucky I was to have a reliable blood source. We drove straight through the night thirteen hours back to Indiana.
The Indiana Blood Center has my undying gratitude. My family is proud to work on their promotional campaign. My husband and daughter are on buildings and buses, reminding the public to “Raise your Sleeve”. Blood donation saves lives, mine!
I also owe my life to many talented doctors, nurses, and medical personnel. It is part of my mission to speak to medical personnel from the cancer patient perspective to raise awareness of needs, care, and communication that will help in the healing process.
I called Mark and told him the situation and then called Katie Hincher at IU Medical Center. She could not believe what I was saying. She instructed me to get in the car and drive directly to IU Medical Center to my chair where the blood products would be waiting. Having been cared for by the Indiana Blood Center, I realized I had a false sense of security. I had no idea how lucky I was to have a reliable blood source. We drove straight through the night thirteen hours back to Indiana.
The Indiana Blood Center has my undying gratitude. My family is proud to work on their promotional campaign. My husband and daughter are on buildings and buses, reminding the public to “Raise your Sleeve”. Blood donation saves lives, mine!
I also owe my life to many talented doctors, nurses, and medical personnel. It is part of my mission to speak to medical personnel from the cancer patient perspective to raise awareness of needs, care, and communication that will help in the healing process.
RAise Your Sleeve!
Indiana Blood Center RAdio Ad
It’s about showing Love. Thousands of patients come to Indianapolis each year from across the Midwest for expertise and specialized care for many types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, organ transplant, high-risk pregnancy, and other conditions. Fair Haven serves these seriously ill patients and their families. We share the love of Christ during a time of great difficulty by providing a convenient and comfortable place to stay near the hospital. Our “home away from home” makes urgently needed care accessible for patients and enables families to stay together at a time when they need each other most.
Having a place for my family to stay near the hospital was a God-given gift. People always asked us, "What do you need?" What we needed was quiet and time together as a family. And that’s what it gave us: A home away from home, and a safe place to go to be a family. When you are from out-of-town and you have been at the hospital all day, and all your energy is spent, and then you come ‘home’ and everything you need is there - it is such a relief. Instead of worrying about where we were going to stay and all those other things, my family could concentrate on helping me. It was so very, very helpful…a true blessing.
I was proud and honored to be named Fair Haven's Honorary Chair.
My husband and I donate our time, energy, and money to Fair Haven to ease the pain
for families undergoing transplants. Having a home away from home means everything.
for families undergoing transplants. Having a home away from home means everything.
It was a wonderful event to share with my husband and partner Mark.
interview regarding Coach Pagano's diagnosis
American Cancer Society - Relay for life
Mom of the month!
Celebrating Life Award
Raising $, awareness and walked 13 miles for
Leukemia and lymphoma Team in training
at the Indianapolis Life 500 Mini Marathon
Team in training mvp!
My husband Mark throws out the first pitch
for The Indiana blood center
Proud Buckeye and alpha phi. Go Bucks!
Karen continues to give back through Anthems For Life
This inspiring set of eight unique cards of encouragement was created by Karen Coyne Volpe. During her courageous 17-year battle with cancer, Karen found strength in these uplifting words and penned “Anthems for Life” to share hope with others going through any difficult season in life.
Each set contains eight different 4×6 glossy cards with an adhesive backing and eight envelopes. You can request a set of Karen's Anthems for Life cards with your gift of $25 or more to The Fair Haven Foundation. |