Our Cause
Families Awaiting Transplant
Qualifications
In order to qualify to stay in one of our fully furnished rent-free apartment units, a transplant patient must be referred to us by a hospital case worker, reside more than 3 hours from a transplant center, and be currently listed as #1, #2, or #3 on the transplant waiting list.
Apartments
Organs have various time limits as to how long they can remain viable outside the body, so time is of the essence for organ transplants. One of the criteria necessary to be listed on the organ transplant waiting list is that a recipient must live within a certain distance from a transplant hospital. In many cases, families with loved ones waiting for a lifesaving transplant must temporarily relocate to a city that has a transplant hospital. This can potentially create a financial hardship on families who are not only incurring high medical bills, but also incurring the cost of living away from home.
The Nicklas Foundation was presented with a real estate development opportunity in 2000 and built the Landings of Carrier Parkway Apartments in Grand Prairie, TX. With this new venture, the Foundation was not only able to generate funds to provide much needed awareness for organ donation, it also enabled us to directly help transplant families.
In the beginning of our fourth year of operation at the Landings, the Foundation set up the first fully furnished “Transplant Family” apartment to help ease some of the financial burden and offer transplant families a safe home away from home at no cost to them. By the time we sold the Landings in May 2018, we had 12 units set aside for transplant families. After the sale of this property, we built Prairie Gate Community in Grand Prairie, TX which opened June 2019. At that time, we relocated our transplant families to this beautiful luxury property.
Our transplant families can stay with us in one of our transplant units on a case by case basis until they are released from their doctor to return home and just report in for their monthly follow up appointments. For up to one year after their doctor’s release to return home, we arrange and pay for lodging with our wonderful hotel partner, La Quinta Inn & Suites Dallas Grand Prairie South.
To date, the Nicklas Foundation has had the privilege of helping over 100 families from 15 states, aged 3 months up to 72 years, and we have donated over $1,000,000.00 to this housing service.
We and are so appreciative and grateful for the continued support of hospitals, charitable organizations, and donors that allow us to help many more families by providing free housing for transplant recipients. The Foundation would also like to acknowledge our partnership with Grand Prairie United Charities where our transplant families can pick up food once a month from their food pantry and are also provided with full holiday meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Scholarships
To bring much-needed awareness of organ donation to the youth of our community, The Nicklas Foundation created a scholarship fund in 1999.
A big portion of the application requires applicants to include a 500-word essay regarding organ donation and its effects on the donor and/or recipient family. We began by awarding at least one $1,000.00 scholarship each year and have built up to now awarding a total of at least $15,000.00 each year. As of 2019, over $96,000.00 has been awarded to graduating high school seniors enrolled in Grand Prairie ISD.
Transplant Families
Mark Gengler
Mark Gengler Heart Transplant Mark and his wife, Diane, moved to the Prairie Gate Community from Slayton, Minnesota on June 7, 2019, shortly after Mark received his gift of life on his 66th birthday on May 28, 2019! Mark was released and they were able to move home...
Larry Vaughn
Larry Vaughn Lung Transplant Larry and his wife, Tracie, moved to the Landings from Hot Springs Village, Arkansas in November 2018. He received his transplant January 21, 2019. They were able to move home November 21, 2019. Foundation News 2019 Nicklas Foundation...
Marilyn Brinkley
Marilyn Brinkley Heart and Double Lung Marilyn moved to the Landings from Amarillo, Texas in April 2017. She received her lifesaving gifts February 9, 2019. She was able to move home in July 2019. Foundation News 2019 Nicklas Foundation Annual Golf Tournament City of...
Mark Alvarez
Mark Alvarez Liver Transplant Mark & Claudia Alvarez moved to the Landings in May 2016 from Canutillo, Texas. Mark received his life saving transplant on May 22, 2016. He left in excellent health and they moved back home on July 27th 2016. Foundation News 2019...
Jonathan Gallager
Jonathan Gallager Kidney Transplant Jonathan and his wife moved to the Landings from Semi Valley, California in November 2015. He received his transplant in April 2016 and they were able to move home in July 2016. Foundation News 2019 Nicklas Foundation Annual Golf...
Rebecca Keeting
Rebecca Keeting Double Lung Transplant Rebecca moved from Junction City, Kansas to the Landings in November 2014. Her transplant took place May 2015 and she was able to move back home in November 2015. Foundation News 2019 Nicklas Foundation Annual Golf Tournament...
Heather Ferguson
Heather Ferguson Double Lung Transplant Heather and her husband moved to the Landings in January 2013. She received her gift of life July 2013 and they were able to move home March 2014. Foundation News 2019 Nicklas Foundation Annual Golf Tournament City of Grand...
Audree Gomez
Audree Gomez Heart Transplant Audree and her family moved to Landings from Umberger, Texas in April 2012. She received her transplant in October 2012. They were able to return home January 2013. Foundation News 2019 Nicklas Foundation Annual Golf Tournament City of...
William King
William King Heart Transplant William and his wife moved to the Landings in February of 2011 from Odessa, Texas and he received his transplant on December 6, 2012. After a few months of recovery, he was able to move back home in June of 2013. Foundation News 2019...
Gregory Iiames
Gregory Iiames Double Lung Transplant Gregory and his family moved from Hagerman, New Mexico to the Landings in August 2010. He received his transplant February 2015 and was able to move home August 2015. Foundation News 2019 Nicklas Foundation Annual Golf Tournament...
Jasmine Johnson
Jasmine Johnson Heart Transplant Jasmine moved to the Landings in October of 2009 from Lawton, Oklahoma. On November 13, 2009 she received her gift of life and was released to go home in June of 2010. Foundation News 2019 Nicklas Foundation Annual Golf Tournament City...
Bruce Curry
Bruce Curry Double Lung Transplant Bruce and his wife, Phyllis, moved to the Landings in October of 2008. He received his gift of life in July 2010. After a short time of recovery, he was released and allowed to move back to their home in Breckenridge,...
Katelyn Moore
Katelyn Moore Double Lung Transplant Katelyn and her parents, Billy and Lana Moore from Woodworth, Louisiana, moved to the Landings in December 2007. Sadly, Katelyn passed away in September 2008 before she was able to receive a transplant.Foundation News 2019 Nicklas...
Donald Schieffer
Donald Schieffer Double Lung Transplant Donald moved to the Landings from San Antonio, Texas in December 2006. He received his gift of life in the Spring of 2007 and returned home July 2007. Foundation News 2019 Nicklas Foundation Annual Golf Tournament City of Grand...
Mark West
Mark West Double Lung Transplant Mark and his mother, Barbara, moved to the Landings from Columbus, Kansas in November 2005. He received his transplant the spring of 2007 and sadly passed away July 2007.Foundation News 2019 Nicklas Foundation Annual Golf Tournament...
Richard Shannon
Richard Shannon Double Lung Transplant Richard was the first transplant patient that The Nicklas Foundation housed. He and his wife, Kathy, from Salina, Kansas, moved to the Landings in October 2004. Richard received his transplant in May 2005. Foundation News 2019...
Become a Donor
Over 112.000 men, women, and children are awaiting lifesaving organ transplants in the U.S.
Every 10 minutes another person is added to the waiting list.
About 22 people awaiting organs die every day.