On behalf of Ryan House, thank you for participating in Care Card.  Your participation supports Ryan House, an Arizona non-profit organization currently under construction.  When completed, Ryan House will be a pioneering, one-of-a-kind facility in the Southwest providing respite and end-of-life care for children with life-limiting conditions.  It is located at the corner of First Avenue and Merrell Street on the campus of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center.  The opening is planned for early 2010.

The House is an eight-bedroom home with three family bedrooms.  It will provide support and comfort for medically fragile  children who are cared for by their families full-time at home.  There will be no charge for families to bring their children to Ryan House.  Many of the families whose children have chronic and serious health care needs have never been able to vacation or 'take a break'.  With Ryan House, these children can come for short periods with care provided by a professional staff in a home-like setting.  Their families may choose to stay in one of the family rooms in the House.  Respite care is at the heart of the services provided by Ryan House.  However, some families may choose to bring their children to the House when the end-of-life is near.

Pediatric palliative care provided by Ryan House will be unique in the Valley.  This broad philosophy of care is a holistic approach to caring for the physical, psychological, spiritual and psychosocial needs of the children and their families.  This approach strengthens the family unit, individuals within the family, as well as the broader circle of family, friends and relatives.

The model for Ryan House is based on 35 similar houses in England, Ireland and Canada.  Only one such facility, other than Ryan House, exists in the United States and is located in Northern California.  There is a great need for additional facilities like this throughout the United States.  Our hope is that Ryan House will become a model for the development of a network of facilities throughout the United States in years to come.

Again, thank you for participating in Care Card and for helping us to build Ryan House for the children and families of Arizona.

Nancy Martin                                                                            Executive Director, Ryan House