Volunteer Spotlight
Liver recipient dreams big Volunteer wants to help transplant families with House of Hope for extended stays in Detroit
Right now, the House of Hope is in the fundraising and planning phase, but Aarolyn established a 501(c)(3) foundation in 2021. The house would be staffed with trained transplant-aware volunteers, would include a kitchen for meal prep and four to six rooms for families living more than 30 miles away. The question asked about groceries was 10 years ago, but Dee remembers it well. “She sent me to Meijer. She was just so kind and I was grateful,” said Dee, who ultimately spent four months in a small, temporary apartment inside Henry Ford back in 2012 and 2013. “I applaud what she’s doing. It’s needed. People need someplace to go.” Dee said the housing aspect is crucial, but the emotional support it would provide is also important. “Staying someplace where other residents are going through what you’re also going through would be so beneficial,” she said. “There would be someone to share a cup of coffee with and talk about your thoughts and fears. Just knowing that others are in the same boat would be great.” Aarolyn and Dee crossed paths about a year after Aarolyn’s liver
Aarolyn McCullough was inspired by one simple question: “Where can I buy groceries?” Aarolyn was volunteering to spend time with families at Henry Ford Transplant Institute when she met Dee Martin who was in Detroit 125 miles from her Midland home. Dee had already spent more than a week at Henry Ford with her husband, a patient waiting for a double lung transplant. “They were in an unfamiliar city — and she was alone. It always resonated with me,” Aarolyn said. Two years later, she visited the Mason Guest House, an extended-
stay residence for families of patients waiting for or recovering from organ transplants in Atlanta, Georgia. “I thought of Dee and how she would have been comforted if she was at a place like this surrounded by other people who were on the same path,” Aarolyn said. That’s when she hatched a plan for Aarolyn’s House of Hope, a Detroit residence that would be available for transplant families from out of town — people like Dee. It’s one of many things the Oak Park woman is doing for Michigan’s donation and transplant community as a passionate advocate and volunteer.
Volunteer Aarolyn McCullough shares information about donation with visitors at Gift of Life Michigan’s annual community open house.
© Photo by Heather Nash
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Gift of Life Michigan | golm.org
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