HelpHOPELive History
early 80sDr. Jack Kolff established the first heart transplant program in the Delaware Valley at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At that time, heart transplantation was still considered experimental, and insurance coverage was not always available for the procedure. Many patients were denied eligibility for transplantation because they lacked the financial means to afford it.
Dr.Kolff and his wife Patricia (pictured above) had a vision that all patients could be eligible for transplant regardless of their financial means.
1983
Dr. Kolff, Patricia Kolff, B.S.N., and Dr. Mike Deeb created the National Heart Assist and Transplant Fund to help end-stage heart disease patients with funding for transplants through community-based fundraising.
"We realized that there was no foundation, corporation or government program able to grant us the necessary funding for such an undertaking," said Patricia, executive director from 1983 to 2003, "so we resorted to the unique American belief in "helping thy neighbor.'"
1987 - From the archives: Lightening the load for heart patients
1989
National Heart Assist and Transplant Fund began helping heart-lung and lung transplant candidates.
1993National Heart Assist and Transplant Fund became a member of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).
Annual revenue from grass-roots fundraising in 100 communities reached $1 million.
1995
National Heart Assist and Transplant Fund expanded services to include all solid organs transplant patients and changed its name to National Transplant Assistance Fund to reflect expanded services.
1996
National Transplant Assistance Fund began awarding $1,000 challenge grants to campaigns in recognition of fundraising progress.
A website was created: transplantfund.org.
2000
National Transplant Assistance Fund took on its first fundraising campaign in honor of an individual who had sustained a spinal cord injury: a local college student who was paralyzed in a sledding accident while home on winter break. The local community rallied around the young woman and her family, working with National Transplant Assistance Fund to raise funds and hope at a time of overwhelming need.
The campaign was a success. Like the transplant hopefuls we had served for so many years, we realized injured individuals could also have a second chance at life through the opportunities grass-roots fundraising can provide.
National Transplant Assistance Fund began helping those living with catastrophic injury (spinal cord and/or traumatic brain) and became known as National Transplant Assistance Fund & Catastrophic Injury Program (NTAF).
2007 - From the Archives: Raising Funds and Hope (Radnor-based nonprofit celebrates 25 years)
2010
NTAF celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Catastrophic Injury Program. Noting the growth of the program (more than 500 campaigns and nearly $18 million raised for injury-related expenses), NTAF began a renaming and rebranding effort to more accurately communicate the work we do for all clients.
2011
NTAF changed its name to HelpHOPELive to reflect what communities do every time they work with us to help patients and families overcome financial barriers to transplantation and catastrophic injury through grass-roots fundraising. NTAF is now HelpHOPELive!
