Providing temporary, affordable housing.
Boston is home to renowned medical institutions that lead the world in treating heart abnormalities in children. Each year, thousands of families travel to Boston Children’s Hospital seeking critical care for their child, often facing significant financial strain due to the high cost of accommodation, with hotels averaging over $350 per night.
At Live4Evan, we believe that parents should not have to choose between financial stability and being by their child’s side during life-saving treatments. Since March 2016, we have been committed to alleviating this burden by providing temporary, affordable, housing for families traveling to Boston for their child’s care.
Our Housing Options
Live4Evan currently operates 7 apartments right outside of Boston Children’s Hospital. The close proximity provides families with a private, relaxing space they can retreat to, while also ensuring they can return to their child’s bedside at a moment’s notice. Many times these families are traveling to Boston with little notice. They are worried, stressed and are racing against the clock to coordinate their plans. Live4Evan is able to lift part of that burden by providing a temporary home away from home that is just a 5 minute walk from Boston Children’s Hospital.
To date, we have supported over 140 families, with an average stay of 2 months. Despite our efforts, the demand for our services far exceeds our current capacity, highlighting an urgent need for expanded housing facilities.
As the need for temporary housing continues to grow, we are actively seeking to expand our housing facilities. This expansion will allow us to support even more families during these critical times, ensuring they can stay close to their child without the added stress of financial hardship.
Our Approach
Live4Evan provides comfortable, fully-furnished temporary housing, at minimal cost, to families who travel to Boston for their child to receive treatment for congenital heart disease.
Each private apartment includes complimentary electricity, water, internet, and other amenities. Prior to the arrival of each guest family, the housing is stocked with housewares, toiletries, and other essential supplies.
The team at Live4Evan knows first-hand what it’s like to have a child with congenital heart disease and ensures that each guest family has access to a dedicated volunteer who can help them navigate the city of Boston.
How We Help
Bogolo’s parents received their daughter’s Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome diagnosis during a prenatal ultrasound. They were living in South Africa at the time and decided to temporarily relocate to Boston for their daughter’s birth to ensure she would receive the best possible care.
Fortunately, a Live4Evan apartment was available for them, and they were able to stay in close proximity to Boston Children’s Hospital at a minimal cost and be by Bogolo’s side as she recovered from open heart surgery.
This apartment became their family’s home away from home, which helped them acclimate to life in a different city during an extremely difficult time.
Meet Our Families
Live4Evan has supported families from 46 states and 37 countries—and that number continues to grow.