Contact Us
Phone: (773) 793-3079
Email: Carolyn@AaronsCoffeeCorner.org
Phone: (847) 274-2983
Email: Morgan@AaronsCoffeeCorner.org
Email: Dan@DanFabry.tech
January 1, 2019
Local mom raises over $24,000 to bring free, fresh, coffee to families and caregivers of patients admitted to the 16th floor Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Ann & Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
In fewer than 6 months, the Kobb family has raised over $24,000, $6000 beyond their original goal of $18,000 as a living legacy, honoring their son, Aaron.
A long, late night hospital stay with Aaron inspired her to write a letter to the CEO of Keurig to find out if they could work together to make coffee more accessible for families and caregivers at the hospital.
Keurig said yes and Monday, November 19, 2018, they brewed the ceremonial first cup of coffee in the PICU Family Great Room at Lurie Children’s Hospital.
Proximity is key! No one wants to miss a doctor drop-in for an early morning progress check. Or, maybe there are concerns about the often unpredictable timing of daily rounds. Or, worst case scenario, your child just isn't doing very well.
Whether you find yourself in the PICU for the first time or the fifteenth time it is a high stress environment. Aaron’s Coffee Corner provides a little peace of mind and a sense of security and comfort by making sure there is access to a fresh cup of coffee just steps away.
From experience, the Kobb family knows Aaron’s Coffee Corner will directly impact families. That cup of coffee also provides a sense of comfort and familiarity in a far too unfamiliar place. This small gesture of making a cup of coffee accessible 24/7 will go a long way in acknowledging the commitment, tenacity, courage and strength of parents, family and caregivers.
A simple cup of coffee can accomplish a lot.
The Kobb family’s goal is to remind these parents and caregivers that their knowledge and experience is understood and appreciated by all the parents that have sat in those rooms before them.
ABOUT THE FAMILY:
The Kobb family has spent a lot of time on the 16th floor. Aaron, born with a rare genetic, metabolic disorder called Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase Deficiency has been diagnosed, cared for, and monitored by the doctors and staff of Lurie’s Children’s Hospital since he was 18 weeks old. His prognosis was that he would not live past three years of age but, this year, the family gratefully celebrated Aaron’s 13th birthday.
Aaron is a medically fragile young man that is globally delayed. He does not communicate, is confined to a wheel chair, requires 24 hour care, is fed through a tube, suffers from epilepsy, and has a depressed respiratory and immune system. That being said, he is a light that shines bright among his family, friends, and his community. He has taught people to appreciate what they have and more importantly taught the young and old how to be better people out in the world, to be kind.
ABOUT AARON'S COFEE CORNER:
Aaron’s Coffee Corner began as a family mission in September of 2018, to provide 24/7 access to free, fresh, quality coffee to family, friends, and caregivers of patients admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital. Since beginning our effort we have raised nearly $30,000.00. As of May 2019, Aaron’s Coffee Corner is registered as an Illinois not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation.
ABOUT LURIE CHILDREN’S:
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is ranked as the top pediatric hospital in Illinois, and #7 in the U.S. in the U.S.News & World Report 2017-2018 Honor Roll rankings. Lurie Children’s provides superior pediatric care in a state-of-the-art hospital that offers the latest benefits and innovations in medical technology, family- friendly design and research through the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute. The main hospital is located in downtown Chicago on the campus of its academic partner, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Lurie Children’s has a network of 13 outpatient centers and 15 partner hospitals, providing top pediatric care across the greater Chicago area. Lurie Children’s relies on philanthropic support to care for nearly 200,000 children each year. Learn more at luriechildrens.org.