Who We Are
Supporting heart transplant and mechanical circulatory device patients and families throughout their journey, the Foundation partners with the U of M Medical Center and U of M Masonic Children’s Hospital to provide assistance through difficult times - mentally, physically, financially.
The Second Chance for Life Foundation is an all-volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded and run by "patients helping patients." Membership includes patients, caregivers, family members and volunteers of heart transplant and mechanical device recipients. Donor families are the true heroes and will occasionally participate in Foundation activities.
The Second Chance for Life Foundation was first conceived in 1986 by William Holden, heart #80 and Joseph Keating, heart #81, who supported each other while waiting for their respective heart transplants. They realized there was much more to this experience. Thus, in 1989 the organization was formalized and became a non-profit 501c(3) organization with it's founding officers and fellow heart transplant recipients: Craig Ayers, heart #30; William Holden, heart #80, Joseph Keating, heart #81; and Cal Stoll, heart #128.
The Second Chance for Life Foundation is an all-volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded and run by "patients helping patients." Membership includes patients, caregivers, family members and volunteers of heart transplant and mechanical device recipients. Donor families are the true heroes and will occasionally participate in Foundation activities.
The Second Chance for Life Foundation was first conceived in 1986 by William Holden, heart #80 and Joseph Keating, heart #81, who supported each other while waiting for their respective heart transplants. They realized there was much more to this experience. Thus, in 1989 the organization was formalized and became a non-profit 501c(3) organization with it's founding officers and fellow heart transplant recipients: Craig Ayers, heart #30; William Holden, heart #80, Joseph Keating, heart #81; and Cal Stoll, heart #128.