© Photo by Rod Sanford
Liver recipient Aarolyn McCullough volunteers at Henry Ford Hospital and Gift of Life Michigan. She’s also working to open an extended-stay residence for families of donors and transplant patients in Detroit.
The out-of-towners are the ones who would stay at Aarolyn’s House of Hope. She’s met some who resorted to sleeping in their cars because temporary housing is expensive and scarce near the hospital. “They have to scramble sometimes,” Aarolyn said. “This is a way to pay it forward and to be able to give back
for this awesome gift I’ve received. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for that.”
transplant in 2011. Her visit to Mason Guest House in Atlanta was in 2013, and she’s been working since 2017 to make Aarolyn’s House of Hope a reality. At Gift of Life Michigan, Aarolyn is active in outreach events, sharing her story and encouraging residents — especially those in multicultural communities — to sign up on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry. Her photo is part of a mural celebrating transplant recipients at Gift of Life’s Ann Arbor headquarters. At Henry Ford, she volunteers with Transplant Living Community (TLC). She runs family meetings and talks with families and transplant patients.
For more information or to support Aarolyn’s House of Hope non-profit, visit the website at aarolynshouseofhope.org .
“This is a way to pay it forward and to be able to give back for this awesome gift I’ve received.”
LifeLINES | 2023
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