Mosaic Life Care Healing Garden Named

Mosaic Life Care was recently awarded a $100,000 gift from Dan and Kerry Heckman.

The gift will name Mosaic Life Care’s Cancer Care Healing Garden the “Heckman Family Healing Garden” in memory of Dan’s parents, Daniel and Carol Heckman. The Heckman’s financial support is in honor of the courageous cancer battles that Daniel and Carol faced.

Heckman’s mother, Carol, loved to garden in the backyard of their home on Edmond Street in St. Joseph. Heckman said naming the Healing Garden is an extension of his parents. Dan and Kerry had so much confidence in the care provided by Mosaic Cancer Care, they brought Kerry’s father there from northwest Iowa when he was fighting his battle with cancer.

“Our hope is that the Healing Garden will promote a calm and peaceful impact on patients and families who are going through a challenging time,” Heckman said. “Helping someone go through that healing process and reflect during a cancer diagnosis means a lot. I believe my parents and Kerry’s parents would be proud of that.”

Heckman connected the growth of a garden to the growth families may experience when impacted by cancer care. As plants grow, prosper, and come back to life every spring, it provides the optimism and extends the same journey to the patient and the families who are impacted.

“It aspires the patient that there is another day to live and there is hope for them as they go through their cancer care,” Heckman said.

Heckman is a Mosaic Life Care board trustee who understands the value of Mosaic Cancer Care. In 2020, he, along with the full Mosaic Life Care Board of Trustees, were challenged to make a gift or pledge to support the advancement of cancer care at Mosaic. One hundred percent of the Mosaic Life Care Board of Trustees responded.

Julie Gaddie, PhD, president of Mosaic Life Care Foundation, said she is deeply grateful for the Board’s support.

“We appreciate the Mosaic Life Care Board of Trustees and their belief in our mission to ensure exceptional healthcare is available, right here in our region,” Gaddie said.

Gifts received through the Cancer Center Life Stories initiative will be used to support all facets of advanced cancer care to ensure that Mosaic’s patients continue to have access to quality care for years to come.