Rising Stars: Meet Amy Torrez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Torrez.

Hi Amy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Our story starts in 1999 when I was living in Austin, TX, and my father was living in the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas. In mid-September, my father was diagnosed with Burkett’s Lymphoma. I would come to find out later that the doctors did not expect him to make it past the weekend. He responded very well to a new a relatively new treatment to stabilize him enough to start chemotherapy. He continued to do well with the treatment, so for the next 3 months he stayed in ICU. 

By this time, I had let my apartment go in Austin. The nurses told me about a program that offered temporary, fully furnished apartments close to the Houston Medical Center that was offered to families of patients receiving treatment at any of the hospitals. It was a GODSEND! No longer did I feel guilty for sharing a small 1-bedroom apartment with a friend that was a medical student, nor did I have to worry about paying for a hotel with money I did not have. Since my father was doing well enough, he could be discharged from the hospital in between chemotherapy treatments. Unfortunately, he was still not well enough to drive to Austin or South Texas. So, we continued in our “home away from home” for another 10 weeks. Overall, the sanctuary at our home away from home helped my father actually beat the cancer after 6 months of treatment. 

However, the treatment proved too much for my father’s transplanted heart. On March 11, 2000, my father had passed away from a heart attack. He was just 2 months short of having the transplanted heart 10 years. I will always treasure the 6 months I got to spend with my father. At one time he told my mom that I was his angel through the whole ordeal. He didn’t think he could have survived the first few months if I hadn’t been there to help him. 

So, in honor of my father, I want to be able to provide that comfort for other adult patients and their caregivers/families. I want to be able to help provide education to the caregivers on how they can learn how to be a catalyst for the healing process for their loved one through nutrition, counseling/support, and even through massage/touch. I want to be able to be a resource for families that are struggling to make it through a traumatic and stressful time of their lives and help pay it forward. We do this for anyone outside of Allen County, Indiana. So, most of our patients/families come from Michigan, Ohio, and all over Indiana. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has definitely not been a smooth road along the way. One of main struggles is being a small local startup nonprofit that sees the usual struggles of a limited budget and trying to increase donations and creative marketing and advertising. We do not have a large national organization to assist with marketing material, financial resources, and a brand name. In addition, 5 years into our beginnings, right when we were set to be eligible for many more grants and creating a capital campaign for building our own house for patients, COVID hit, and we immediately went from growth mode to survival mode. 

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an entrepreneur. I started the non-profit and continue to run the operations while we are gearing up to hire an Executive Director to handle the day-to-day operations.

I think what sets me apart from others is that I am not afraid to take calculated risks. I believe from all of my personal experiences, especially with my father, I have learned to adjust very quickly when adversity or obstacles strike. I can also see while some obstacles or when bad things happen, I know that they are learning opportunities to continue on more efficiently.

What do you think about luck?
I do not feel I have good luck or bad luck. It all comes down to preparation and perspective. When “bad luck” happens, it can be a door shut to move you along a different path or to something better. When “good luck” happens, it is really when preparation intersects with opportunity. This is true of both personal and professional life. 

Pricing:

• $49.00 sponsors a night for a family

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.paulsplace.org/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulsplaceforfamilies
• Youtube: @paulsplacesupportforfamili5306

Image Credits
Rod Ovitt