11/29/2010 Family Already Strained by Illness Loses Everything in House Fire

Friday, November 12^th, Gracie Duval was on her way to take her 13 year old

daughter, Alexis, to an early morning doctor appointment. It was a morning just like any other morning, except that Alexis, who has a tumor on her neck, had a fever; Gracie had just finished her last chemo and radiation treatment for breast cancer; her husband had lost 120 pounds in the last six months due to complications with diabetes; and, unbeknownst to her, as she sat waiting in the doctor’s office, a fire raged out of control at her Lower Valley home. She ignored the first few calls on her cell phone in the quiet waiting room and then the texts came. “Your house is on fire!”

By the time Gracie returned the firemen were almost done. The house was demolished. Burnt furniture, carpet, mattresses and clothes spilled across the front yard, still smoldering. Nothing was left. “My daughter lost her acoustic guitar and equipment, her laptop and all her journals and books of songs she had written. She has a beautiful voice,” Gracie said wistfully. “We lost all mementos, all photos, everything.”

Gracie, lost her own Mother almost a year ago and was diagnosed with breast cancer a day after Thanksgiving 2009. Complications from surgery left her with unbearable nerve pain, unable to work for months. She returned part-time to her lab job at University Medical Center only last week.

“Red Cross put us up at the Comfort Inn for a week,” she said gratefully, “…but we have no clothes, no furniture, and no money for food. I never knew how important socks were.” University Medical Center Foundation is asking for donations to assist the Duval Family during this difficult time. Anyone wishing to make a donation to benefit the Duval Family can visit http://www.umcfoundationelpaso.org/donate and select the “Catastrophic Care Fund” or mail donations to “Duval Family Catastrophic Care Fund, c/o University Medical Center Foundation, 1400 Hardaway, Suite 220, El Paso, TX 79902. Donations of real items, clothing, furniture or food can be made by calling 915-521-7229, ext 2995.

For more information, contact:

Dennece Knight

Executive Director

University Medical Center Foundation

915-731-4450

Recent News

• 5/02/13 University Medical Center Foundation Announces $30,000 Grant From The Susan G. Komen Foundation For Sobreviviendo El Cancer De Seno Program
• 5/02/13 UMC Foundation Awarded $95,000 Grant From The Marsh Foundation To Purchase Halo System To Treat Patients With Esophageal Cancer
• 5/02/13 University Medical Center Foundation Awarded $343,422 Grant From Medcares To Support El Paso Children's Hospital Child Abuse Clinic.
• 3/20/13 $40,000 Gift To Be Presented To Dr. Bradley Furhman, Physician-In-Chief At El Paso Children's Hospital
• 2/28/13 University Medical Center Foundation Awarded $3,000 Grant From Shiloff Foundation

Archives

• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
  • 12/27/10 University Medical Center Foundation Receives $20,000 Grant for the First Medical Legal Partnership to Benefit El Paso High Risk Infants
  • 12/10/10 Texas vs. The Nation and El Paso Hotel Motel Association Team Up to Support Children's Miracle Network
  • 11/29/10 Family Already Strained by Illness Loses Everything in House Fire
  • 11/09/10 UMC Foundation Awarded $20,000 Grant
  • 11/08/10 Border Championship Wrestling Helps to Pin Down Childhood Illness For Children's Miracle Network
  • 11/04/10 UMC Foundation Volunteer CORE Skills Training
  • 11/03/10 Wells Fargo Donates Halloween Treats for Sick Children at UMC
  • 11/03/10 UMC Foundation Volunteer Corps Scare Up Halloween Decorations
  • 11/03/10 Tune in to Children's Miracle Network Radiothon to Help Sick Children
  • 11/03/10 Sam's Club Aims for a Hole in One for Children's Miracle Network
  • 11/03/10 Stateliners Car Club Cruise for Children's Miracle Network
  • 10/12/10 Stateliners Car Club 4th Annual Car Show Benefits Children's Miracle Network
  • 10/12/10 Kids Open Their Hearts and Piggy Banks to Give to Children's Miracle Network
  • 8/19/10 Local Schools and Businesses to Participate in Miracle Jeans Day
  • 8/16/10 Save the Date! Rock Skipping Contest September 5th!
  • 8/13/10 WalMart and Sam's Clubs Donate More Than $89,000 to CMN
  • 8/13/10 Stateliners Car Show to Benefit Kids at UMC
  • 8/04/10 UMC Foundation Trains New Ambassadors
  • 7/26/10 UMC gets forensics equipment
  • 6/14/10 El Paso Diablos Team Up With CMN For Benefit Ball Game
  • 6/08/10 Golden Corral Raises Nearly $24,000 For CMN and UMC
  • 5/28/10 Six-year-old donates tooth fairy money and bake sale funds for children with cancer at UMC
  • 5/27/10 CMN donates forensic equipment to UMC Crime Victims' Services Unit
  • 5/17/10 UMCF receives $10,000 from the Hervey Foundation for cancer program
  • 4/23/10 Loma Verde Elementary School raises $1,378 for CMN
  • 4/23/10 Costo contributes more than $27,000 to CMN
  • 4/05/10 UMC Foundation announces $5,000 grant from McKee Foundation
  • 4/05/10 Golden Corral, Cici's Pizza, Good Time Stores, HMS Airport Concessions and JR Produce help CMN
  • 4/02/10 UMC to offer Free Asthma Buster Camp
  • 4/02/10 Panda Express Partners with Children's Miracle Network--click for coupon!
  • 3/24/10 Whataburger Visits UMC Pediatric Unit
  • 3/24/10 High Schools Raise $1,170 for Children's Miracle Network
  • 3/11/10 Children's Miracle Network Announces Miracle Jeans Day -- September 15, 2010
  • 1/18/10 UMC Foundation receives $600,000 grant from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • 1/08/10 UMC Foundation Announces $7,500 Grant from the Cardwell Foundation
• 2009