Introducing... The Alyssa House!

The Alyssa House, named for ten year old Alyssa Grace Divers, will be a hospitality house providing affordable housing to families of children in medical crises who are not from the local Charlottesville area but who are in active medical treatment. Plans are to open late Spring 2016.

Alyssa Grace Divers was a fierce firework who radiated love and wit – and her love for dolphins, dance and books – but not in that order. Diagnosed with osteosarcoma just two weeks before her 9th birthday, Alyssa bravely endured surgeries, a leg amputation and 38 hospitalizations trying to outlive the cancer that invaded her body and her life. Tragically, the disease stole Alyssa from her family and this world on New Year’s Eve, 2012.

During Alyssa’s two years of treatment, the Divers’ family (Jeff, Lynn, Alyssa and Lexie) had to seek medical care far away from their home community in an effort to save Alyssa’s life. In so doing, they realized the importance of generous hospitality by strangers to a family in crises.

Alyssa’s beloved church, Sojourners United Church of Christ, in a gift to Alyssa’s memory offered to work towards creating Alyssa House: Offering Grace to Body and Spirit as a way for Alyssa’s light to shine and make others’ world a little brighter.

Alyssa House seeks to meet the needs of families in crises as generously as possible. In true Alyssa fashion, nothing is more important than family.

We welcome you to join our Alyssa House family.

Alyssa Grace Divers with her mom Lynn, dad Jeff, sister Lexie, and beloved bunny Snowball.