It Was Like Home
By Pedro Acevedo Internal Communication
As an MAA associate for over 12 years, Andrea Brent of Memphis, TN, was already familiar with the Open Arms Foundation. She frequently heard about the charity’s work, participated in Open Arms October and supported the organization through her biweekly payroll deductions. But she never imagined how the same charity she quietly supported would one day provide her family with a lifeline during their most difficult time. When her eldest daughter, Kierstyn, began feeling sick two years ago, their world turned upside down. Kierstyn, then 22, had to put her college education on hold as she faced a long and grueling journey to uncover the cause of her illness and search for treatment. After months of hospital stays and uncertainty, doctors in Memphis referred the family to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. There, Kierstyn was diagnosed with a rare and life- threatening autoimmune disease. The diagnosis brought clarity, but it also brought new challenges: Kierstyn’s survival depended on a stem cell transplant and a subsequent recovery period requiring the family to live near the hospital for at least 100 days. After three stressful months of searching for a matching donor, one was found, and that’s when Open Arms stepped in to help.
Kierstyn & Andrea Brent
A Beacon of Hope in Difficult Times Kierstyn’s case manager at Vanderbilt recommended a familiar organization to Andrea: Open Arms. After coordinating the dates and completing the application, the timing was providential — an Open Arms home was just becoming available minutes away from the hospital. While Kierstyn remained in Nashville with Andrea’s husband to prepare for her transplant, Andrea returned to Memphis to pack for the months ahead. She drove to Nashville alone, her car packed to capacity with everything they might need. Stepping into the Open Arms apartment for the first time, Andrea felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
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