Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Hindin.
Hi Heather, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I never planned to start a nonprofit.
Before Harper’s Home, I spent my career in education, first as a teacher, then helping build and lead programs for a Durham nonprofit, and later in educational marketing and communications. I loved the work I was doing and never imagined my career would take such a dramatic turn.
Everything changed in October 2021 when my daughter, Harper, was diagnosed with leukemia.
For 864 days, Duke Children’s Hospital became part of our daily life. Because we live in Durham, we were able to go home after long days at the hospital. We could sleep in our own beds, do laundry, care for our dog, and find small moments of normalcy in the middle of an unimaginably difficult season.
But as we got to know other families in treatment, we realized how different their experience was. Many had traveled hours to get to Duke. They were living in hotels for weeks or months, sleeping in hospital chairs, commuting back and forth, or separated from spouses, siblings, jobs, and their support systems. The only real difference between our experience and theirs was our ZIP code.
That awareness stayed with us. We kept thinking, What if we didn’t live here?
At the same time, I watched Harper spend her own cancer journey looking outward. She made cards for other patients, visited children she didn’t know, and looked for ways to make difficult days a little brighter. Her compassion inspired what eventually became Harper’s Home.
Today, we’re providing free housing for families traveling more than 40 miles to Duke Children’s Hospital while building a permanent campus just 1.9 miles from the hospital. Looking back, it feels like my professional experience prepared me to build an organization, but Harper’s journey gave me the reason to build this one.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Starting a nonprofit is never easy, but building one while helping your child through cancer changes your perspective on what “hard” really means.
The biggest challenge wasn’t deciding whether the need existed. We had lived it. The challenge was convincing other people that this vision was possible before there was a building, before families were staying with us, and before Harper’s Home had a track record.
There were plenty of moments when the project felt overwhelming. Construction is expensive. Fundraising is unpredictable. There are days when the to-do list seems impossible. But every time I questioned whether we could do it, I thought about the families we met at Duke Children’s and what they were carrying. Compared to what they were facing, overcoming these obstacles felt doable.
One of the greatest gifts of this journey has been discovering how many people want to be part of something meaningful. Donors, volunteers, board members, healthcare partners, and strangers have stepped forward because they believe families deserve to stay close to their children during treatment. Harper’s Home has become a true community effort, and that’s incredibly humbling.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Harper’s Home provides free, private housing for families whose children are receiving treatment at Duke Children’s Hospital and who travel more than 40 miles for care.
Our mission is simple: no parent should have to worry about where they’ll sleep while their child is fighting for their life.
Since welcoming our first family on September 1, 2025, we’ve already provided more than 500 nights of housing across five families, at no cost. While we’re proud of that milestone, we also know it’s just the beginning.
Everything we do is shaped by lived experience. We know that healing doesn’t happen only inside the hospital. It also happens when a parent gets a good night’s sleep, when siblings can stay together, when a family can cook dinner instead of ordering takeout for the tenth night in a row, or when a child can be greeted by the family dog after a difficult day of treatment.
Those moments don’t change a diagnosis, but they can change how a family gets through it. That’s what Harper’s Home is here to provide.
What matters most to you?
We’re in the most exciting season in our organization’s history, thus far.
Construction is underway on our permanent Harper’s Home campus, and we’re looking forward to welcoming families into those homes. Seeing something that started as an idea during Harper’s treatment become a real place where families can find rest and stability is incredibly meaningful.
At the same time, we’re focused on growing thoughtfully. We want Harper’s Home to be here not just for today’s families, but for families ten, twenty, and fifty years from now.
Personally, I hope we never lose the perspective that inspired all of this in the first place. It’s easy to get caught up in construction schedules, fundraising goals, and strategic plans. But at the heart of Harper’s Home is a very simple idea: every family deserves the chance to stay close to their child during treatment. As long as we stay focused on that, I know we’re moving in the right direction.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.harpershomenc.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harpers_homenc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarpersHomeNC
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harper-s-home/
