Volunteer, Board Member, Incarnation Children's Center*

Nancy Addison Altman began her affiliation with Incarnation Children's Center in 1996 changing diapers. Babies born with HIV who have been orphaned, abandoned, or removed from their families find a loving home at Incarnation Children's Center — and at less than half the cost of a hospital. Twice a week Nancy would travel up to Washington Heights. It was a different world than the one she came from as the star of a popular soap opera, but Nancy quickly fell in love with Incarnation and its residents. She developed special bonds with two of the children and stayed with them, sleeping with them in the hospital, to their deaths.

Nancy's work for Incarnation was not limited to caring for these extraordinary children, she was also instrumental in fundraising. When Nancy was diagnosed with cancer, she credited the children with helping her to face her own mortality. She believed that her experience at ICC not only brought her love, but also prepared her for her own journey. After a valiant fight, Nancy Addison Altman passed away on June 20, 2002. She inspires us daily.