Meet Aaron
When Senait first learned about George Mark Children’s House, she was pregnant with her middle son, Joseph, and searching for safe care for her oldest son, Aaron. Aaron had cerebral palsy, was medically fragile, and needed constant support. Senait loved caring for him, but her family needed help. At George Mark, Aaron found more than respite. He found joy.
Each time she told him, “You’re going to George Mark this weekend,” his face lit up. “He was full of joy, full of smiles.”
Aaron especially loved the water. Senait remembers him in George Mark’s palliative aquatics spa, relaxed and smiling, experiencing freedom and comfort. His brothers came to know George Mark, too—not simply as a medical setting, but as “Aaron’s home,” a place their whole family belonged.
Aaron died at age 19, after a joyful family reunion trip to Eritrea. Though he did not receive end-of-life care at George Mark, the House remained woven into his story and into Senait’s grief. After his death, Senait and her husband joined George Mark’s bereavement program, where they found parents who understood their loss. “It gave us the space to cry, to be, and to connect,” she says.
Today, the family still returns for Remembrance Day, Pumpkin Day, and family gatherings. “Even though Aaron is no longer there, it’s still our home,” Senait says. “We feel like it’s our community.”
“We were not just paperwork,” she says. “They just hold the space for me and for my family.” What began as respite became Aaron’s second home. What began as support became family. “I did not know that I was going to make George Mark my forever home,” Senait says.
Aaron’s story highlights the vital role GMCH plays in the lives of patients and their families, allowing them to experience moments of normalcy and joy while creating memories with their parents and siblings even during the most challenging times.
George Mark relies largely on the support of foundations and individual donors like you to sustain its mission to provide life-affirming care and comfort to children with chronic or terminal medical conditions and their families.
Meet Charlie
Charlie was just three years old when her mother, Molly, noticed a small bulge at the base of her neck while washing her hair. What seemed like a minor concern turned out to be thyroid cancer that had already spread to her lymph nodes and lungs. In an instant, Charlie's family went from an ordinary childhood to navigating a life-changing diagnosis.
At UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals, Charlie's care team went beyond traditional cancer therapy to understand what was driving her cancer. Using the UCSF500 cancer gene panel, they identified the specific genetic change causing her tumors to grow and developed a treatment plan tailored to her disease. Charlie underwent surgery to remove the tumor in her thyroid and affected lymph nodes, followed by targeted therapy and radioactive iodine. Within months, the tumors had disappeared, giving Charlie the chance for a full recovery.
Today, Charlie is five years old and back to doing what she loves. She plays soccer, dances ballet, swims, and is getting ready to start kindergarten. Although she still returns to UCSF for follow-up visits and scans, her days are once again filled with the joyful routines of childhood— and her family can look ahead with hope instead of uncertainty.
"Getting that level of detail—understanding what was actually driving her cancer—that changed everything for her," Molly said. "A diagnosis like this doesn’t discriminate, but the outcome can.”
Through the help of UCSF’s brilliant staff and her own incomparable perseverance, Charlie has made a miraculous recovery. From pediatric cancer to rare genetic diseases, UCSF is tackling the most challenging medical issues children may face with world-class facilities, innovative research, and exceptional care. Your generous donations are crucial to giving children like Charlie another chance at life.
The Children's Health Guild is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization of volunteers dedicated to raising funds for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland (UBCHO) and George Mark Children's House (GMCH) in San Leandro. Please note 100% of the proceeds from the Annual Giving Campaign go directly to our beneficiaries.