Leaning into Gratitude on Giving Tuesday

It’s Giving Tuesday! Rather than ask you to give, at IU Health Foundation we’re celebrating by saying thank you. We’re grateful for the many ways donors partner with us to improve care across Indiana and support the teams who make that care possible.

Philanthropic support helps iHEART reach more vulnerable Hoosiers

The iHEART Collaborative takes care beyond hospital walls, sending Community Health Workers to take blood pressure screenings and sharing information about hypertension in local barbershops and community spaces.

Thanks to donor support, the program reached its screening goal a year ahead of the deadline and earned an Excellence in Healthcare award from Indianapolis Business Journal along the way. This success is a testament to the power of philanthropy in creating healthier communities.

We are grateful for the generosity that allows iHEART to expand and reach more Hoosiers at risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Camp Bluebird gives patients fighting Cancer a place to heal, connect and recharge

Hosted each spring at Jameson Camp on Indianapolis’s west side, Camp Bluebird welcomes cancer patients and their caregivers for three days of healing and joy. Participants take part in music and art therapy, yoga, massage and nutrition workshops, all designed to manage symptoms and improve quality of life.

But Camp Bluebird is more than programming. It’s a place where friendships form around the fireplace, laughter echoes through chair volleyball matches and memories are made during Saturday night dances.

Thanks to donor support, the cost is just $25 per camper with scholarships available for those who need them. For many patients and survivors, Camp Bluebird is the only vacation they’ll take all year. It’s a chance to step away from the stress of treatment and rediscover joy, surrounded by people who understand.

Donor-funded massage makes chemotherapy days brighter

Stella Tucker has a rare perspective. She calls her days spent in chemotherapy at IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center the best days of her week. That’s due, in part, to the time she spends with massage therapist Michelle Bailey.

Bailey’s massage helps ease edema and neuropathy, common side effects from Tucker’s treatment. Her role exists due to the generosity of IU Health Foundation donors. On Giving Tuesday, we’re highlighting stories of gratitude from patients who benefit from initiatives supported by philanthropy.

On Giving Tuesday, we celebrate stories like Stella’s -- reminders that compassionate care goes beyond medicine. We’re deeply grateful for the perspectives of patients and for the clinical expertise that transforms days spent in cancer treatment from a burden into ones a patient describes as their best.

Closing Note of Gratitude

This Giving Tuesday, we’re not asking – we are thanking. Every program highlighted here exists because of donor generosity. From iHEART to Camp Bluebird to CompleteLife’s massage therapy, your support brings healing, comfort and hope to patients and communities across Indiana.

IU Health is a stronger, more compassionate health system because of you.