The Luke Heydlauff Fund for Children
The Luke Heydlauff Fund for Children was created in 2018 to support and foster an awareness of the needs of children everywhere and promote health, education, and happiness among youth in Uganda and the world.
The New Luke Heydlauff Medical Clinic at Restore University
To honor the legacy of Luke Heydlauff, Love Does is partnering with The Luke Heydlauff Fund for Children to build a new medical center at Restore University—an expansion of the Luke Heydlauff Medical Clinic at Restore Leadership Academy. The new facility will provide essential care for infections, wounds, and malaria, and will include a dental clinic. Over time, additional medical equipment (X-ray machine and MRI) will be added to ensure students and families have access to comprehensive care right on campus.
In Uganda and many parts of the world, children often lack access to basic medical services, putting their lives and futures at risk. This new clinic will stand as a tribute to Luke’s life, extending hope and healing to students, families, and the surrounding community for generations to come.
About Luke
Luke was born in Kampala, Uganda, on October 16, 2015. His birth mother, Winnie, not only brought him into this world but loved him enough to place him with people who could selflessly care for him while he waited for his forever family. In June 2016, Jeff and Kate Heydlauff traveled one more time to Uganda to bring Luke home to his forever family in Michigan.
Luke was a happy, smiling child from the beginning. In fact, his smile was described as “contagious,” “one that lights up the world” and “big enough to fill any room.”
Luke’s big, brown eyes didn’t miss a trick. He learned to trust, with an understandable amount of trepidation, the many people who cared for and loved him unconditionally. Not only was he discerning, but Luke was a smart, gentle, kind, and most of all an extremely polite soul.
Luke was diagnosed with Pulmonary Alveolar Microlithiasis which led to many visits to Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was the bravest hero through countless hospital appointments, procedures, tests, and admissions. In June 2017, the Heydlauff family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio for Luke to be listed for a lung transplant. In October 2017 at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Luke received a double lung transplant. The family was able to return to Traverse City, Michigan in June 2018. Luke maneuvered this journey with grace. He loved his parents, played with his siblings, listened to music and savored his Goldfish crackers and potato chips.
Luke’s all too brief time on earth was surrounded by and epitomized by love. He passed away peacefully at home on July 16, 2018, with his parents at his side. Those who knew Luke will forever reflect the difference he made in their lives.
Join Us!
The Luke Heydlauff Fund for Children will reflect the many ways Luke’s time with us showed the difference one person can make, and the joy, pain, beauty, and fulfillment that comes from unconditional love.
Contributions to the Luke Heydlauff Fund for Children will be used at the discretion of the Utopia Foundation board of directors at the suggestion of Jeff and Kate to promote health, education, and happiness among Uganda’s and the world’s youth.
Unless requested otherwise, the Heydlauff family will be notified of donors’ mailing addresses and contributions to the Luke Heydlauff Fund for Children.
The Impact of the Luke Heydlauff Fund:
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Partnering with Dennis and Tupee Garsinii, The Luke Heydlauff Fund for Children was able to provide funds to purchase medical equipment and help staff the newly constructed Courage Medical and Rehabilitation Center in rural central Liberia. Many people in this region do not receive health care and this medical center will provide affordable healthcare to adults and free healthcare to children in this area.
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Continuing our partnership with Love Does, Luke’s Fund donated money to purchase hand washing and sanitation stations for the 500+ students and 30 teachers. During this global pandemic, this purchase was an avenue to get students safely back on campus to continue their education.
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The Luke Heydlauff Fund for Children partnered with Love Does, Bob Goff's organization that has been fighting human rights and providing education for children around the world for the last 15 years. Love Does has done a TON of work in Uganda and around the world. Luke's Fund provided enough money to build a medical center for their school, Restore Leadership Academy, in Gulu, Uganda. We are so proud of this!
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Due to the success of the health clinic in 2018, a second Heydlauff Family Health Camp was held the following year on July 16-17, 2019. During this two day clinic, over 5,000 Ugandans received medical care.
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In a collaboration between the Heydlauff family, the Utopia Foundation, and organizations in Uganda, the Heydlauff Family Health Camp was held in memory of Luke Heydlauff on July 25, 2018, treating 2,255 people living in an urban slum of Kampala, Uganda. Click here for the project report.