A Home for Heroes and Hope
There’s a dream growing in Durham for Heather Hindin and her daughter, 10-year-old Harper.
Called Harper’s Home, the site is expected to provide lodging for families of children undergoing cancer treatment at Duke Children’s Hospital.
It all started for this single mother and her child in 2021. Harper finally got to return to in-person class after remote learning during the height COVID-19 pandemic. She was thrilled. But then came the headaches and bone pain. The doctor told Hindin it could just be the physical shock of returning to school.
In October of that year, during a beach trip with friends, Harper suffered fatigue. Hindin noticed that the child’s lymph nodes were swollen.
She took Harper to Duke University Children’s Hospital, where Harper was diagnosed with pre-B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
“In a nutshell, after my daughter’s cancer diagnosis, we saw firsthand how fortunate we were to live so close to such an incredible children’s hospital,” Hindin said. “We made many friends throughout treatment who traveled long distances for treatment and struggled with housing while here. Harper’s Home seeks to remove that obstacle for families.”
Now 10, Harper is in fifth grade at E.K. Powe Elementary School.
“She’s doing beautifully, due in large part to the Duke Hospital School (affiliated with Durham Public Schools),” Hindin said. “Harper had a hospital school teacher that worked with her every day, either in the hospital or at our home. Her teacher stayed in touch with Harper’s school to ensure that she aligned her lessons with her peers. She loves school and neither of us take one single moment of it for granted.”
Harper enjoys reading and science. Given the Halloween season, she’s been into favorites like Stranger Things and A Nightmare Before Christmas.
“She reads anything she can get her hands on, though she really enjoys graphic novels,” Hindin said. “She is working on writing a book as well, though the topic changes on an almost daily basis.”
While Harper went through treatment, she designed a T-shirt, launching a “Brave Like Harper” campaign that raised more than $27,000 for cancer research. Her campaign led to national news coverage and illustrated her strength, compassion, and resilience.
However, although that research funding is vital, so is affordable short-term housing for families traveling from out of state for the expertise of doctors at Duke.
Hindin is planning a private fundraiser in November to generate support for Harper’s Home. There may also be a repeat of the popular T-shirt campaign. Her hope is to accommodate eight families at a time starting in 2025.
Meanwhile, Hindin continues the journey with her daughter. Harper has made more than 100 trips to Duke Children’s Hospital in the past two years. Sometimes it was for scheduled chemotherapy, but also for emergencies due to fevers, headaches, and vomiting. Like many young cancer patients, she has undergone transfusions, MRIs, and needle pokes.
“As a parent, you know that you are capable of absolutely anything in service to your children’s well-being,” Hindin said. “The truth is, I didn’t think about anything but getting her through this and advocating for her at all times. I was fortunate that as a single parent, my friends, family, and work community rallied behind me and helped me put one foot in front of the other. I’m still trying to work through the trauma of the past two years – lots of therapy, reflection, and using our experience to fuel some really positive things to help others.”
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