Red Mountain Grace is excited to introduce our new Operations Coordinator, Natalie! Originally from Memphis, TN, Natalie earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville.

She is excited to use her experience in management, operations, and business development to support the growth of RMG. She is passionate about loving her neighbors and expanding RMG's mission of showing gracious hospitality with compassion, empathy, and mercy (Luke 10).

Natalie loves spending quality time with her family and friends, all things outdoors related, and playing basketball & tennis with her husband, Jackson. Natalie and Jackson have lived in Birmingham for 3.5 years with their children: Emery (3) and Anderson (1). They attend Redeemer Community Church.

Katie and her husband Chris were guests in 2019 and now carry our mission through their commitment to The Neighborhood. Their RMG journey provides us with an extraordinary portrait of how our staff, partners, volunteers, and The Neighborhood all work together to extend gracious hospitality to our guests.

Introducing Katie Bourbeau

After attending a 20-week sonogram appointment for their twins, the Bourbeaus discovered that Baby B, who is now Logan James, had a heart defect. Following multiple tests and several doctor visits, they diagnosed the defect as transposition of the great arteries (TGA).

The couple was challenged with finding not only the best place to give birth to their twin boys, but also the best place for Logan to have open-heart surgery. They researched and visited hospitals in states from Florida to Massachusetts and eventually found what Katie describes as an incredible medical team and support community at UAB and Children’s of Alabama.

At the time, the couple was living in Florida, hundreds of miles from where Katie would deliver and Logan would undergo surgery. Long-term housing can be expensive, and oftentimes, only one parent is allowed to stay. Thankfully, Katie and Chris learned about Red Mountain Grace from their medical team at Children's.

“We couldn’t believe such a compassionate and generous organization existed. Red Mountain Grace allowed us to safely deliver our boys and be with Logan during his surgery and recovery.”

Photography by Liesa Cole

Because of the generosity from our donors, the Bourbeaus became 1 of over 900 families Red Mountain Grace has had the privilege to serve.

“Red Mountain Grace is so much more than clean, comfortable, affordable, and flexible term housing. It is also a loving group of people who visit you in the hospital, who bring you thoughtful gifts and reminders to keep the faith.”

One of Katie’s fondest memories from her stay was alongside then-current RMG Patient Care Coordinator, Debbie Tidwell. "Debbie and our RMG home provided much-needed respite during our stay in Birmingham. Not only did Debbie come to see our little Logan several times during his stay at Children’s Hospital, but she helped us during a very chaotic move-out day and showed God’s love in beautiful artwork she made for the boys.”

“We have been singing RMG’s praises to our community and sharing their information with other families who need this kind of loving grace. We are forever grateful for Red Mountain Grace and want to give back to the organization that made such a positive impact on our experience while Logan was in the hospital.”

And Katie and Chris have done just that by becoming monthly supporters and members of The Neighborhood, giving back to the same village that supported them during their 47 night stay. Katie even raised $1,000 for Red Mountain Grace in honor of her birthday.

The Bourbeau twins are now 2.5 years old, and the family has since relocated to the Birmingham area. Katie updates that Logan is a healthy, wild toddler who is doing so well. We are grateful for the family’s generosity and commitment to the mission of Red Mountain Grace and The Neighborhood.

In 2020, Diana’s daughter, Destiny, began experiencing severe headaches. Her doctors soon discovered a small tumor situated in a very tight spot in Destiny’s head. She was pregnant at the time, so Destiny’s care team felt it was best to keep a watchful eye on the tumor.

Following her son Paxton’s birth in December of 2020, they knew it was time to treat the tumor. Diana watched as her daughter struggled with the decision to take care of her own health with the risk of missing out on all of Paxton’s “firsts.” Destiny chose to wait until after Paxton’s first birthday to have surgery. 

Destiny was scheduled for surgery in January of 2022; however, complications arose. Destiny tested positive for COVID. Her doctors decided to move forward with the surgery, but that meant Diana could not be with her daughter. Diana waited anxiously for any update from the surgeons. 

During surgery, Destiny’s doctors found that the tumor was deeper than they once believed. They could not continue to dig for it, at the risk of Destiny losing her ability to speak or walk.

After a one week post-op stay in the hospital, Destiny was finally reunited with Diana and Paxton. Unfortunately, soon after, she began to experience numbness on the left side of her body. The family was then hit with the news that Destiny had stage 4 brain cancer. 

Diana and Destiny traveled to Tupelo in their home state of Mississippi to begin the cancer treatment process. Following more testing, Destiny’s doctors felt it was best for her to receive treatment at UAB in Birmingham.

“The doctors in Mississippi said their facility was like driving a Buick, but the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center was like driving a Cadillac,” Diana chuckled.

Diana knew they were about to face a whole other set of challenges; but like any good mother, she would do whatever it took to help Destiny fight the cancer - even if it meant driving back and forth between Mississippi and Alabama.

Destiny’s treatment was moving fast. Diana began trying to sort through how to be there for her daughter, while simultaneously caring for her grandson. Diana had to quickly figure out how to juggle her duties as mother and grandmother while Destiny underwent treatment with Proton International at UAB. 

Fortunately, the family’s social worker, Rashad, connected them with Red Mountain Grace. 

“I can’t begin to tell you what a blessing this was to us,” exclaimed Diana. “We would be able to afford a comfortable apartment where I could cook healthy meals and focus on caring for both Destiny and Paxton.”

Diana felt a huge burden lift, as they would not be able to afford an expensive, long-term hotel stay. Not only would they not have to drive back and forth, but Paxton would also be able to stay with them. This provided Destiny with the ultimate motivation to fight. 

“It was like I found my peace in that apartment. I didn’t have to worry about anyone bothering Destiny. Red Mountain Grace was a home away from home. It was so peaceful.”

During their stay with Red Mountain Grace, Diana was able to cook healthy meals for the family, give Destiny the space she needed to rest, and keep her grandson and daughter together. Diana also noted how the close proximity to the hospital was also a huge help, as it made it easy to come and go for Destiny’s appointments.

On April 11, 2022, Destiny completed her treatment and got to ring the gong at the Proton Center. They were also able to check out of the apartment that provided them with peace, quiet, and normalcy in the midst of a difficult time. 

“It’s been amazing to watch Destiny,” praised Diana. “It was rough in the beginning, but she found motivation in Paxton.” 

We have been so inspired by the motherly love, strength, and faith displayed by both Diana and Destiny. “While I did have some fears at the beginning, I did not claim them,” Diana declared. “We have a God who can do anything.”

We asked Diana what piece of advice she has for mothers who may be facing similar battles. She had this to say: 

“Keep praying, and keep the faith. With God, everything is possible - ALL things are possible. When the doctors say no, He can still say yes.”

Diana updated that Destiny is doing great since coming home. Destiny is excitedly back to driving, and they are awaiting the next steps in her journey towards beating cancer.

After years of hard work, our Licensed Master Social Worker, Lindsey, is now a Licensed Clinical Social Worker!

In pursuit of this next level of licensure, Lindsey worked for 2 years to accrue the supervision hours required to take the licensing exam. Unfortunately, she did not pass her first attempt at the exam.

“I never thought I would try again. Then, after some encouragement from a colleague, I picked my study materials back up.” Lindsey was newly determined to grow her knowledge and elevate the level of service she provides to our guests.

After a lot of courage, commitment, and discipline to study well, she passed the licensing exam. “Passing this test reminded me to not give up on a goal; instead, work at it to become a reality!”

Whether helping a volunteer clean an apartment, coordinating guest housing with a social worker from an area hospital, or comforting our guests on their darkest days, Lindsey always embodies RMG’s mission of treating our guests with dignity and empathy. 

“I believe that having this next level of licensure increases my credibility with families and the medical professionals I interface with. Additionally, it gives me more confidence in my abilities to care for our families holistically.”

Congratulations to Lindsey on this huge accomplishment! We are so proud of you!

Red Mountain Grace would like to introduce our new Marketing and Events Coordinator, Liz McCullough. A Birmingham native, she brings with her over 10 years of communications and marketing experience.

Liz comes to us after spending four years at UAB. Most recently, she worked as the Communications Specialist for the Department of Radiation Oncology in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, where her focus was print publications, social media, internal marketing, and website management. In nine months, she grew the department’s following on Instagram by 61% and Twitter by 24%. Prior to transferring to Radiation Oncology, she worked within the UAB Office of Alumni Affairs/National Alumni Society (NAS). During her time with UAB Alumni, she spear-headed marketing efforts, including branding, collateral, and social media. Within two years, she grew their social media following by 114% on Instagram, 34% on Facebook, and 23% on Twitter. She also planned and executed fundraising, athletic, homecoming, and engagement events. Liz was an integral part of building a strategic plan for the NAS and helped execute a marketing campaign to support a transition to a non-dues membership model.

Before joining UAB, Liz worked for a large general contractor, Hoar Construction. While at Hoar, Liz provided communications and marketing support to the HR Department by implementing a company intranet, creating an onboarding program guide for all job areas, and designing a benefits packet. She also constructed employee engagement surveys to improve talent management, managed the company’s co-op recruitment program, planned company-wide events, and coordinated monthly training programs and new hire orientation.

Liz holds two degrees from UAB - a B.A. in Mass Communications/Broadcasting and a M.A. in Communication Management. During her undergraduate time at UAB, Liz was a member of the Golden Girls Dance Team and completed internships with the Rick and Bubba Show (Intern Taylor Swift) and WIAT CBS 42 (News and Weather). During graduate school, she served as an Athlete Mentor and Public Speaking Professor. She also worked as a Sports Assistant with CBS 42 and a DJ and Promotions Assistant for 104.7 WZZK.

Liz lives in the Gardendale area with her husband, Ryan. She has taught dance for 15 years at North Jefferson Academy of Dance and currently choreographs competition routines for three local dance teams. She and her husband are members of Christway Church. Their family has been directly impacted by cancer, so the mission of Red Mountain Grace is close to her heart. She is excited to spread the story and mission of RMG with Birmingham and beyond!

When I think of ways that Red Mountain Grace showed Gracious Hospitality to our guests in 2021 I can’t help thinking of our friend, Bob. However, it’s not because of anything that our volunteers or team did to show Bob hospitality, it’s how Bob showed hospitality to us. 

Bob stayed in a Red Mountain Grace apartment for nearly half of 2021. 168 days to be exact. But that’s not exactly where Bob’s story started in Birmingham. After staying in different hotels and hospitality housing options around Birmingham for over 3 months previous to his stay with us, he finally checked into a Red Mountain Grace apartment in January. After all was said and done, Bob had lived locally in Birmingham for over 200 days. 

Originally from South Alabama, Bob had a need to find a local housing option so he could be near his wife while she received and recovered from a lung transplant. Lung Transplant recovery in a best case scenario means the family has to be within a 15 minute drive of the hospital in Birmingham for a minimum of 90 days post-transplant. In Bob’s case it was much longer. 

Looking back, I don’t think of Bob’s story as just that, it’s so much more. I think selfishly in a job like this we can see the impact we make solely as our team of volunteers and staff impacting our guests, but what makes Bob special was how that typical role was flipped on its head. That’s because, despite being a guest, Bob went out of his way to make an impact on Red Mountain Grace.

One Saturday in March we planned a big volunteer day with 40 volunteers all over Birmingham to clean apartments, paint apartments, and assemble welcome bags to give to our new guests. We spent weeks previous planning to execute the event and had a great group of volunteers signed up to join us. We had nurses, social workers, local businessmen, families and church groups signed up to serve. A couple days before we received a message from Bob saying he wanted to help in any way he could, so we invited him to also join the group to serve our guests. 

Saturday rolled around and one of the first people that showed up that morning was Bob. He hopped right in, grabbed a roller, and started painting. He spent the morning serving our team, connecting with everyone in attendance - all while being sure to tell his story of how he was currently being impacted by Red Mountain Grace.

A current guest, serving other guests! 

Talking to Bob was really a treat. He loved all things related to Harley Davidson motorcycles. He loved being charitable and giving back. He also really enjoyed a good burger and was quick to share his favorites in Birmingham. But most of all I was impacted by how you could tell he cared for and loved his wife. 

Being away from home is hard. But what was harder for him was seeing his wife struggling through a medical diagnosis with seemingly insurmountable odds. Yet he still spent every day he could at the hospital helping think through important decisions related to her care. And then after her discharge to the apartment, being her primary caregiver, nurse, taxi driver, etc. 

The week before Bob and his wife were allowed to return home, we got a message from him. He asked if he could treat the whole Red Mountain Grace team to a meal before they left town. So, we met him and his family at a local restaurant and our whole team shared a meal with Bob and his family - Bob’s treat. At that meal they took some time to share with our team how impactful our care for them was - not just in providing a space to live for 168 days, but being a family to them while they were in town. 

For me, what was more impactful was seeing how Bob cared for our team, for his family, and for everyone he came in contact with. If that’s not Gracious Hospitality, I don’t know what is.

One of our previous guests at Red Mountain Grace, Katrena, had a Bone Marrow Transplant back in November of 2020 and after beating several setbacks was discharged home in April of 2021 with a good trajectory for recovery. 

I got a call on the evening of Monday May 14th that left me in so much confusion and sadness mixed with humility and honor all at once. Her mom, Gwen, was calling me to share that Katrena had passed away totally unexpectedly earlier that day. After getting to build a friendship with this family, experiencing Katrena petting a dog for the first time, celebrating her birthday with her for the first time not in a hospital for 2 years and watching Gwen sacrifice and care for Katrena for over 155 nights in the Red Mountain Grace apartment, I will never be able to look at our guests and the journeys they find themselves on in the same way.

Around the holidays, I sent Gwen a card for Thanksgiving to let her know we were thinking of her and acknowledging that this year will look different unfortunately. About a week later she called me and wanted to give a financial gift to Red Mountain Grace, and we did it in Katrena's memory. She told me, "I love you for thinking to do that."

Grief is a funny thing and different for everyone, I think of her family so often these days and also thank God for choosing me to intersect paths with them. Sometimes being there for our guests looks like sitting in the grief with them, listening to the tears through the phone and remembering the sweeter moments. It is hard yet full of privilege, what a treasure that they would share these moments with us. Maintaining a relationship with Gwen has been so special to me, we still text, I have sent her some printed photos of us at Katrena's Birthday celebration and hope to see each other in person soon.

Joshua Jipp has a quote that is continually on the forefront of my mind as I get to have this job with Red Mountain Grace, “We welcome strangers who leave as friends.”

I am thankful for my friends Gwen and Katrena. Let the welcoming continue in 2022.

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Would you like to be a part of extending gracious hospitality to our guests? Be a neighbor today and invest your resources in Red Mountain Grace! Click the button below:

Ari and Keegan are parents to their son Clay. They have known each other from high school and were excited when they found out they were pregnant. However, at 20 weeks, they realized that Clay was not developing properly. He had poor lung and kidney development, and they were told by doctors that he had a 10% survival rate. They had to come to terms with having a baby who would not survive.

Ari went into labor at 32 weeks and labored for 5 days until Clay was born. The doctors told Ari and Keegan that there was a 99% chance that Clay would not survive past one hour. After 12 hours, they were instructed to say goodbye. When they entered the room to see their baby for the last time, Clay’s rates immediately went up, and everyone was surprised. 

Miraculously, Clay fought for his life and has been convalescing in Birmingham for over eight weeks. While he’s on dialysis, he should be taken off his ventilator soon. Ari and Keegan are eager to bring him back home to Huntsville.

While they’re in Birmingham, they are able to frequently visit Clay as they are staying in a Red Mountain Grace apartment close to the hospital. They have been impressed with the high level of care they’ve received at the hospital. Birmingham offers world-class care that is often not available in many cities. Ari and Keegan spent their first week in Birmingham in a hotel, and then at the Ronald McDonald house for a couple of weeks. Now that they’re in an apartment with their own kitchen, laundry, and living room, they’re trying to create “any resemblance of normal life we can have here.” 

One of the most important aspects of taking care of a loved one is having support. Both Ari and Keegan’s families have visited and encouraged them throughout their journey. For Ari, her faith has also grown from the experience. “You can’t go through this situation and not have some kind of growth.” 

Ari and Keegan have enjoyed getting to explore Birmingham while they’re here. They recommend riding the scooters downtown and visiting Jay’s Wings and East West. Beyond going home, they’re most excited to hold Clay without assistance.

Patricia and Daryl

Daryl and Patricia are currently in Birmingham as Daryl recently received a lung transplant. After meeting through the army in Germany, they’ve been married for almost 40 years. Daryl used to be more active, even running marathons, but in the last 5 years he’s been on oxygen. 

They have supported each other through health obstacles, but it became apparent four months ago that Daryl would need a transplant. The average waiting time on a lung transplant list is 18 months, so they were expected to wait a while. However, 2 days after Daryl got on the list, they received a call telling them to come to Birmingham for surgery.

Their advice for braving a transplant? “Leave it in God’s hands.” They would need to follow that advice as they struggled to find a place to stay for recovery. They were about to spend $500 on a hotel for 5 days when they received the call from Red Mountain Grace. They were excited to move into an apartment with more space, a place to cook, and a convenient location. All Red Mountain Grace apartments are within 8 miles of UAB and come fully-furnished. This includes WiFi, a stocked kitchen, and comfortable furniture. 

Having room to rest was beneficial to Daryl as he started recovery. He was walking within 1 day after surgery and walked over 3 miles in the first week. He explains, “you can’t let it get to you. It’s just something you gotta do.” Now, they’re excited to go home when the time comes. As Daryl’s health improves, they want to golf, travel, and visit their family. 

Are you interested in helping a family feel at home in Birmingham? We always welcome new volunteers. You can sign up here.

Anessa and True

“When you’re the parent of a child like this, it’s the most powerful walk of faith to experience,” says Anessa from Huntsville. Her child, True, has congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia, a rare blood disorder where she cannot produce her own platelets. Anessa and her mom first discovered her disorder after she developed brain bleeding and bruises when she had only experienced a small fall. True was taken to Birmingham for further testing, where she would eventually receive her diagnosis. 

Once Anessa learned that True would need a bone marrow transplant, she reached out to a foundation that pairs recipients with news outlets and celebrities to help promote their cause. Kim Kardashian, ABC, and People magazine posted about her disorder, and over 3,000 people worldwide signed up under the bone marrow registry. True ultimately got a cord blood transplant and had 8 days of chemo. She developed sepsis and had 4 surgeries to correct an IV line, but she had no additional complications.

Anessa prayed and fasted throughout the journey, relying on her faith to carry them through. She had to drive from Huntsville from Birmingham multiple times a week until she secured a Red Mountain Grace apartment. She learned to, “let go of things that aren’t in God’s will,” and trust that True would get well. 

Anessa encouraged everyone around True to remain positive. Along with playing worship music in the mornings, Anessa asked True’s doctors to stay positive and use encouraging language in speaking to her daughter. Miraculously, True had no symptoms while she received chemo, and the doctors and nurses called her “superwoman.” To keep Anessa strong, she had “to act like God had already won the war.” 

According to Anessa, “For you to truly live, you have to shift your energy.” True is now healing and has started to make her own platelets. If she had not received this transplant, she would have only had three years to live. 

You can help ease the financial stress of our guests by donating. Many of our guests are still paying a mortgage back home, face mounting medical bills, and have to pay for medication and groceries. Donate here today!

Harper and Charlie Gandy

Harper was born to Charlie and Brittany Gandy on September 10, 2020. They stayed with Red Mountain Grace as guests.

Harper was diagnosed with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) on May 19th, 22 weeks in utero. If she survived her delivery date, she would immediately be placed on a ventilator and taken to the NICU.

"Brittney and I were devastated, but we trusted in God and knew He had plans for Harper. We had to choose to deliver Harper either at Vanderbilt or UAB. With Brittney working at Huntsville Hospital, where all her friends work, this was another difficult decision, but all signs pointed to UAB. 

As the weeks passed and the pregnancy progressed, we approached full-term and decided to schedule an induction date. Before Covid-19, we would have met with the surgeons at Children's Hospital and given a tour to know what to expect, but that was not the case. Two weeks out from induction, we had a phone conference with the surgeon who would operate on Harper. Our surgeon told us that Harper had a 50% - 70% chance of survival after birth. 

On September 9, we arrived at UAB, and on September 10, Harper was born. When she entered the world, she was intubated and transferred to Children's Hospital. A few days later, Harper had surgery to repair her little body. We knew the road to recovery would be challenging if she survived. 

We moved into our Red Mountain Grace apartment, where we were able to find respite. I can't tell you how it felt to sit and have a cup of coffee in our own space each morning before starting a new day at the hospital. Friends and family could visit us in our own living space; we could cook meals instead of eating out and wash our clothes. Having this space allowed us to continue to live while we helped our little girl fight for her life.

Harper finally left Children's Hospital in November last year. Thanks to the excellent medical care she received in Birmingham, and the hospitality showed through Red Mountain Grace, we are now at home growing and thriving."

When Kenneth and Diane moved from a hotel into a Red Mountain Grace apartment, the first thing he wanted to do was cook. From gingerbread men to buttermilk pie, Kenneth loves to bake for his family. After learning that he had issues with his lungs two months ago, he called on one of his closest relatives and cousins, Diane. They’d always known each other but became particularly close after Diane’s husband passed away in 2005. Kenneth was there for her when she received a transplant in 2009, and now Diane can be there for him as he receives radiation treatments. 

A Vietnam veteran, Kenneth is no stranger to hard work. He spent years doing building restoration and remodeling until he retired. He and Diane got close once he moved back from California to Alabama, and they enjoy spending time with their families here. When Diane realized she would have to get a transplant, she knew she might not survive, and her faith grew as she needed strength. She is thankful to have been given a second chance at life. 

What have they learned about Birmingham? One way streets have been challenging, but they much prefer the apartment to staying in a hotel, especially as Kenneth likes to cook. Kenneth and Diane have remained strong throughout this challenging time. “Do what the doctors tell you. Stay busy. Read a lot. You can try to change it, but it’s something you gotta live with,” according to Kenneth. 

These apartments are made possible by our incredible apartment adopters. This year, we have served 109 families so far, but that only meets a portion of the need. Your support gives us the ability to continue adding apartments until the full need is consistently met. We need partners like you to help us cover rent and utilities so our guests have a safe and comfortable apartment to come back to after a challenging day at the hospital. We will assign you to a specific apartment that you can call your own!  Each month we will send you an email update on past month happenings, current guest needs, and opportunities to serve.  We encourage you to pray for the patients, their caregivers, and families that will stay in your apartment. Reach out to our Executive Director Austin Hardison at austin.hardison@redmountaingrace.com for more information.

Mrs. Johnson (seated) with Elmore County High School staff

Before Mrs. Johnson’s kidneys started to fail in 2020, she “had barely taken a Tylenol.” Used to being healthy and working a full-time job at Elmore County High School. Thankfully she had a large support system of family and friends. Her youngest son ended up being a donor match, so the process began quickly. Her son is starting medical school, and she knows this experience will only help him as he becomes a doctor.

Being from Enterprise, Alabama, her family would have had difficulty traveling to help her prepare for surgery and recover. “I never could have stayed at a hotel this long. I’d have gone crazy. Y’all were a blessing to our family,” says Mrs. Johnson. Mr. Johnson, the chef of the family, was able to cook spaghetti and take care of Mrs. Johnson as each of Red Mountain Grace apartments are fully furnished and stocked with cooking equipment. 

“UAB has been awesome,” says Mrs. Johnson. They provided personal care and explained all of her procedures in detail. She was amazed at the level of care and concern they showed. “Birmingham gets a bad rap,” in Enterprise, “but it’s not bad at all.” With incredible restaurants, world-class medical care, and beautiful scenery, Birmingham ended up appealing to Mrs. Johnson more than she expected. 

Her support system is what got her through treatment. She had over 500 people praying for her, even though she says she’s not the type of person to ask for help. “Red Mountain Grace has become a new family member,” but she is most grateful for her immediate family. As her son was her donor, she told him, “I gave you life. Now you’re giving me life.” 

Mrs. Johnson is now on the road to recovery, and we are thrilled about her progress. Help us continue to support families like the Johnsons by joining the Neighborhood, where you can donate monthly. Learn more here!

Mrs. and Mr. Arras

Mr. and Mrs. Arras just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. The secret to a happy marriage? “Forgiveness.” Throughout their time together, they’ve faced many challenges, but they’ve always stood strong in hope and faith. 

It all started five years ago with a cough. After several rounds of testing, Mr. Arras was diagnosed with fibrosis, but they could not determine the cause. Eventually, after seeing specialists at UAB, they realized that his arthritis was actually attacking his lungs. Mr. Arras signed up for multiple research studies across the country and tried experimental prescriptions, but he still needed to be on the transplant list. He was told by one doctor that he only had 3-5 years to live. UAB specialist Dr. Hoopes had a brighter outlook. 

He performed the surgery in late June, and Mr. Arras was quickly up and about, walking down the hospital hallways. He was required to walk at least a mile unassisted in order to leave the hospital, and he quickly was walking 2 miles every day. They were relieved to get an RMG apartment after staying in a camper nearby for a week. They could finally cook their homemade deer sausage and sleep in a comfortable bed. Mr. Arras continues to improve quickly, but he says, “I thank God every day when I wake up.” 

They have 1 child, 3 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren, so they are excited to go back home and visit Dauphin Island. An avid fisherman and hunter, Mr. Arras is glad “he got his life back.” He had previously not been able to walk across a room without needing oxygen, and now they take daily walks at Veteran Park. 

Red Mountain Grace is proud to support families like these. We are able to only charge guests $10 a night due to generous donors. Would you consider joining The Neighborhood by making a monthly gift? It makes an incredible difference in the lives of people facing life-threatening illnesses by providing a comfortable place to rest.

The Huffaker family wants to honor Dylan by providing a new apartment for guests receiving medical care in Birmingham. Join us as we work to raise the $12,000 needed to meet this goal.

“Red Mountain Grace is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing gracious housing to out-of-town patients and caregivers during their extended medical stays in Birmingham. Our family knows first-hand what a blessing organizations like Red Mountain Grace are to those facing the trials of distance medical care. Long distance extended medical care can be like a car wreck or engine failure - you don’t know what you might need or how long you may face the dilemma. Red Mountain Grace helps families like ours, to face the unknowable with compassionate care and gracious hospitality. Please allow us to share Dylan’s story with you to help better illustrate what a tremendous service Red Mountain Grace provides to families.

On March 6, 1989, Dylan came into this world. He was born with five major heart defects, including only three chambers instead of four and a pulmonary stenosis, which was a partial blockage in the artery between his heart and lungs. His heart was on the wrong side of his chest, upside down, and it had hole in the top of it. There was little the doctors could do other than some medications until he was three years old, and they didn’t expect him to survive that long. Right after he was born, we had to go to UAB for a more in-depth diagnosis. That was our first trip to Birmingham not knowing where we could stay or how long we would have to stay. While there, Dr. Kirklin informed us that, because of Dylan’s heart makeup and physiology, he was not a candidate for a heart transplant. When he was three, we were able to take him back to UAB for a Fontan procedure. This allowed for high-oxygen flow into the body, which was a severe issue with his heart condition. The procedure allowed Dylan to live a more normal life (as normal as normal could be) for the next several years. His stay in the hospital for that procedure was approximately two months with some very touch and go moments.

Fast forward to 2011… Dylan’s Fontan procedure had done almost all that it could to keep him alive, and his health was failing fast. Twenty-one years removed from Dr. Kirklin’s initial diagnosis, the doctors at UAB now believed that they could indeed provide Dylan with a viable heart transplant. In May of 2011 Dylan was admitted and then on August 14, 2011 underwent a successful heart transplant. Amazingly, the son of Dr. Kirklin successfully performed the surgery. Dylan was also the first person in the world with his condition to receive a heart transplant. He remained in the hospital until December of that year. Dylan’s story is, in our minds, as miraculous a thing as we see on this earth and a product of so many countless answered prayers. Finding and maintaining a place to stay throughout these times was always an ordeal, and our family would like to use the occasion of his passing to perhaps help ease these types of burdens for families in the future who face similar circumstances. On August 5, 2021, Dylan left this earth. Since his transplant, he had been able to, in many ways, live a more normal life than in times past. We are grateful and feel privileged to have had him as a blessing in our lives while we did!

We hope that in sharing his story, we have helped to demonstrate what a huge need organizations like Red Mountain Grace fill for families facing the uncertainties and trials of long distance extended medical procedures. We want to continue to honor Dylan and his story by humbly requesting that, in lieu of flowers, food, or gifts, you please consider donating to this extremely worthy organization in Dylan’s name. May God bless you greatly for what you share!!”

In loving memory,

Scott (father) & Tammy Huffaker, Thomas Owens (grandfather), Robert & Wilma Huffaker (grandparents), Michael & Lena (sister) Vrazel, Kymber Owens (sister), Christian Tyler (brother) & Joy Huffaker, Joseph Huffaker (brother), Lucy Huffaker (sister), and a plethora of Uncles, Aunts, Nephews, Nieces and Cousins.

Mr. Bradley, an RMG guest, with Wally

If you know Red Mountain Grace, you’ve met Wally and Gail. Long-time volunteers, they began by visiting guests in the hospital and cleaning apartments. They joined because they wanted, “to show hospitality and love to people.” They recognized that when guests stay sick for a long time, “people forget about them. If you’re the constant in their life, it really helps them.” According to Wally, if you make him brownies, he’ll definitely be a constant in your life.

Wally and Gail love that Red Mountain Grace’s community is made up of people from different religious denominations and socioeconomic statuses. They wanted to stay busy during retirement, so they split their time volunteering between Red Mountain Grace in Birmingham, AL, and a refugee community organization in Clarkston, GA. Some of the guests have particularly impacted them over the years, but ultimately, “it’s living out the gospel to strangers in our city,” says Wally. 

Red Mountain Grace could not function without volunteers. “It’s not that big of a deal,” says Gail, “if you can clean your house, you can clean an apartment.” “I wouldn’t sell it on the cleaning,” Wally replied. Although cleaning may not be his favorite aspect, they love spending time together volunteering and meeting guests. Become a volunteer today by filling out this form!

Mr. Keller was shocked in January when he was told that he had a year to live. He had not had previous health problems but learned that he had cancer after one abnormal blood test. Thankfully, UAB provided a solution through a bone marrow transplant. While Mr. Keller’s husband stayed home to take care of their son, Mr. Keller had to gain new perspectives to stay positive while he was sequestered in the hospital.

“This is one short point in time. Attitude is everything. It’s hard. It’s not easy. Being a man, I don’t like to ask for help. Accept the help. And learn Grubhub because the food gets old real fast.” 

How did he get through it? “Lots of prayer. Lots of self-reflection. No TV. No books. I decided this is the second part of my life; God has given me a second chance. I’m going to quit worrying and enjoy life. I’ve always been who someone else wanted me to be. Now, I’m going to be who I’m supposed to be...Prayer makes a huge difference. I felt like I wasn’t alone. I know prayer works.”

Mr. Keller would face more obstacles as he developed graft versus host and sepsis with a 105 degree fever. His oncologist said, “we don’t know what to do,” terrifying words from a medical expert. However, the power of prayer was evident as his fever eventually subsided. 

“I’m so grateful for Red Mountain Grace, particularly financially...We didn’t expect to come down with cancer. This has been a massive blessing. There’s a peace about this place [his RMG apartment].” 

“I want to help other people who may be going through this. It’s scary. They don’t tell you what to do.” Mr. Keller feels as though his faith has been revitalized. “I don’t view getting cancer as a bad thing. It’s up to me how to approach it. I can take it as a learning experience and have it make me a more compassionate person.” 

He feels for those suffering medically without insurance and wants to make a difference by empowering others going through cancer treatment. He’s excited to go back home to his ten cats and a house full of orchids, where he can be as persnickety as he pleases with their maintenance. 

One of the ways Red Mountain Grace is unique is that we have apartment adopters. Mr. Keller’s apartment adopters, the Schrocks, brought him a birthday cake and made him feel welcome in his new living space. If you’re interested in becoming an apartment adopter, visit https://www.redmountaingrace.com/apartment-adoption for more information.

Libby, Katie Raye, and Mary Kate

What did you spend your summer days doing as a seven year-old? Most kids are busy jumping off the diving board or playing hopscotch, but Katie Raye has been hard at work making “crafts for a cause.” 

Katie Raye comes from a long line of women who love to serve. Her mom, Mary Kate, has encouraged her to help with Operation Christmas Child, Giving Hope, and a lemonade stand for world missions. Her grandmother, Libby, has been a volunteer with Red Mountain Grace for the past five years. 

In 2017, Libby found an article about Red Mountain Grace and fell in love with the idea of welcoming strangers in need of hospitality housing into her city. She loved the aspect of introducing familiarity into unfamiliar situations for others.

She jumped in head-first and began visiting families staying in RMG apartments. Libby, and all of our volunteers, are examples of what makes RMG different. Our guests are not just patients coming to Birmingham for treatment, they quickly become friends.

Both Katie Raye and Libby embrace the unique mission of RMG. While Katie Raye loves that, “every bracelet [she makes] is different,” Libby loves that, “Every family [RMG serves] is different because you never know who can come to town,” to support the patient. 

When it was feasible to visit patients in the hospital before COVID, Libby went to pray with them to help them feel better. “There are patients that are so easy to bond with and you get to know them beyond their diagnosis. You also get to see a glimpse of who they were before all of this. You kind of feel like you become an extended part of their family.” 

Luckily, there are many ways to support RMG’s mission regardless of age. You can purchase a bracelet handmade by Katie Raye here and sign up to volunteer like Libby here. We are grateful for the impact they have already made on this organization and look forward to seeing how they continue to support our mission.

The Love Family

Andrus Love’s life was saved by his wife’s intuition. After two falling spells, which were dramatic as Andrus is over six feet tall, she suggested that he visit the doctor. He was initially diagnosed with the flu, but his wife Beatrice insisted that he get more tests. Sure enough, there was a mass in his chest, and he was sent to UAB to start chemotherapy. His family put hands over him and prayed.

He has acute lymphocytic leukemia, which meant that he would need a bone marrow transplant. Eventually, an anonymous donor became a match, and Andrus told his doctors, “Y’all are gonna witness a miracle.” 

Andrus was a fighter and “rockstar patient,” according to the medical staff. He was also stubborn. He hated getting his blood clot shot, so he took to walking multiple times a day to prevent blood clots and a painful injection. 

Their family relied on each other and on their faith to get through the journey. “God has his purpose,” explains Beatrice, “We’re fighters. For me, the hardest part was leaving my kids.” Andrus and Tammy have four exceptional children, who all made honor roll this year despite their dad’s medical difficulties. 

Red Mountain Grace made it possible for the family to stay together as we provided a two bedroom apartment. There was space for the kids to do their schoolwork online during COVID, but they are excited to get back home. 

Andrus, a psychology professor in Auburn, remains in great spirits and advises others experiencing challenges to, “surround yourself by good, positive people.”