Nora’s Home Opens for Transplant Patients

HOUSTON — Nora’s Home, a freestanding health care facility offering transplant patients and their families affordable and comfortable housing, celebrated its grand opening Feb 11.

The 11,400-square-foot facility, located near the Texas Medical Center, offers 16 private bedrooms and bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, meditation room, community room, family room, education center and a garden. The facility was named in memory of Dr. Osama Gaber and Dr. Lillian Gaber’s daughter, who was killed in an automobile accident at the age of seven. Nora’s organ donations helped save several critically ill children and inspired the creation of Nora’s Home as well as the establishment of the Nora’s Gift Foundation.

“Transplant patients must undergo months of testing before and after surgery and many travel long distances with their families,” Dr. Osama Gaber said in a statement. “During this difficult time for patients and their families are burdened with the high cost of lodging, the loneliness of being away from their loved ones and the fear of losing their jobs, homes and way of life. Nora’s Home hopefully will relieve some of this burden.”

Nora’s Home provides a home-away-from-home for patients and their families before, during and after transplant surgery. Approximately one-third of patients who receive solid organ transplants at one of the Texas Medical Center’s six transplant centers travel from outside Texas.

“Studies have established that separation from the patient’s support network increases stress, adversely impacting the transplant recovery process,” said Kayla Lehmann, Nora’s Home executive director and transplant patient, in a statement. “The cost of trying to keep families together for such an extended time often becomes prohibitive, adding to the stress for many patients.

Several firms donated their time in order to design and construct Nora’s Home, which broke ground in October 2012. Those firms included WHR Architects, Satterfield & Pontikes Construction Inc., Walter P Moore Engineers and Consultants and AEI Affiliated Engineers. All firms hold offices in Houston.

“We were inspired by the passion of Nora’s Home’s team,” said Bill Ganshirt, WHR’s team leader, in a statement. “Creating a comfortable, home-like healing environment for patients near the TMC was of paramount importance.”