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Ellen’s Hand Ellen Hahn was a volunteer, activist, consoler, and educator. She died on August 11, 2007 of ovarian cancer. In her professional life, Ellen was a former government auditor and former CPA. She devoted her accounting experience from her past life to the leadership of Houston Buyers Club and devoted countless volunteer hours to PoWeR, Kindred Spirits, Legacy, A Christmas Songfest, and others. She devoted her nutritional supplement knowledge to its clients and gave patients the tools (the knowledge) they needed to fight this virus. And, she taught patients how to stand up to doctors who refused to ‘keep up’ with treatments that used nutritional supplements to manage side effects. Her own physician, Dr. Joe Gathe, always worked hand in hand with her about her own treatment plan and he always considered very seriously certain therapies she proposed to him. Ellen became the standard by which we measure financial accountability here. She is the reason Houston Buyers Club is still here. Many years ago, Nelson Vergel asked her to help us with our accounting – our books. And, over a number of years, she helped mold us from a struggling agency to an agency with a plan. When she arrived, we were giving away the store. “How do you plan to be here tomorrow if you give the store away today?” she’d say. She also fought for us to be included in the largest collaboration we’ve ever had which is directly funded by the Ryan White Care Act. And, I’ll never forget that famous phrase, “…what the auditors will want to see is…” Auditors? The infamous ‘audit’. Audits are what small or medium sized nonprofits have to get when they want to apply for federal funding or what they have to have before they can apply to certain foundations for funding. Audits tell donors that you are (or aren’t) spending your money like you say you are. To us, ‘audit’ became a myth, or a fairytale because of the cost, $5,000. How could we ever afford an audit? But, she prepared us for it when it finally did arrive and it got us in the mindset of being financially accountable for any future project or funding. She also introduced us to “Standard Operating Procedures” and other common business practices that helped us survive the changing consumer climate. She was also the person who found CM4 on the web, the nutritional supplement that has helped many people with HIV reduce their viral load. I remember that day she came back to my desk, “there’s this product I’ve found on the net…the research looks amazing…would you mind if I bought six bottles? We have some patients who don’t have any treatment options left. If this works, it’s a little more time they’ll have until new drugs are found.” Well, because of her, many people have kept their virus lower than they would have without it. And, CM4 remains one of the most popular immune boosters for most people with HIV. And, she loved kitties (cats). One cat story I’ll never forget was when she was making the move from New Mexico to Houston. As she left the New Mexico city limits, she started to cry – gut cries. She’d never see her friends or her ex-husband again; she grieved as she drove. Her ‘ole comfortable life was now behind her. Her baby, Alex – her cat – crawled up on her shoulders and wrapped her whole body around her neck as Ellen drove out of the city, like a neck pillow on a plane trip. It was as if she knew what Ellen needed during that drive. Even though I know she is resting at peace, I’m sure she’s a little ‘irritated’ right now. She once told me, “if I go to all this trouble to keep HIV under control, and I do it, I’d better not die of this &*%$@# cancer!!” Well, she didn’t die of HIV…but of ovarian cancer. Augh. The last time I spoke to her was two weeks before she died. She was driving into Mexico to go to work, and yet, she could barely talk – she was having trouble breathing. “Ellen, you’d be really proud of Houston Buyers Club…we finally got an independent audit and I’ve been told we’re going to pass.” She responded, “Proud of you? I’ve always been proud of you. And, congrats on the audit.” When I came in to work the day we heard Ellen died, we opened all the Kleenex boxes and put them all over the store. We missed her terribly. She did so much for us and for her community. Fred Walters, Jr., founding executive director |
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Mission Statement: To improve the quality of life for people with health-related conditions through nutritional education and affordable nutritional supplements. Houston Buyers Club is a project of the Program For Side Effects Management a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. |
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Copyright © 2008 Houston Buyers Club 800-350-2392 or info@houstonbuyersclub.com |
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