HALVE A HEART

Receptions for Research: The Greg Olsen Foundation was established in 2009 to provide hospitals, doctors, and scholars the resources necessary to help those affected by various forms of cancer and other debilitating diseases. Receptions for Research has since partnered with local and national organizations who share the same desire in changing the lives of those suffering from such diseases through our initiative Receiving Hope. While originally founded upon the inspiration of Greg’s mother Susan, a 14 year breast cancer survivor, Receptions for Research has since expanded their mission to include helping children born with rare congenital heart defects (CHD).

This initiative is known as The HEARTest Yard and benefits the HEARTest Yard Fund established at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, NC. When Kara and I set off on The HEARTest Yard, we were sailing in uncharted waters. We were new parents to a sick child and two other little kids. We were new residents to the Carolinas. By all intents and purposes, we were boating in choppy waters without navigation. Thankfully, we had a seaworthy vessel and a well-traveled crew. The boat and the crew were, well, you.

You, the greater Charlotte community and beyond, wrapped your arms around us to a degree that we never knew was possible. The doctors and nurses at Levine Children’s Hospital literally saved our son T.J.’s life. We soon learned that we were not alone. In fact, there were many families with children battling life-threatening conditions. Kara and I quickly realized that it is our calling to help heart babies and their families.

Together, with the tremendous and steadfast support of our R4R donors, we opened the doors to the southeast region’s first pediatric congenital heart center for comprehensive care from birth to adulthood. The HEARTest Yard Congenital Heart Center at Atrium Health Levine Children’s opened December 7, 2020, and the outpatient clinic is filled with bright colors, bright smiles, and bright futures.

Receptions for Research: The Greg Olsen Foundation is a non-profit charity incorporated in Florida under 501(c)(3).

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