Home | FAQ | Site Map

About Us

Kate

 

Kart #1

Krista & Andy Layman at the

inaugural rolling of Kart #1.

June 4, 2008

 

 

 

The Kate's Kart logo tree was designed by Seth Layman, Kate's big brother, at age 4 (April 2008).

 

Seth Layman

What is Kate's Kart?

Kate's Kart is a not-for-profit organization that supplies free books to hospitalized children to keep for their enjoyment. Our goal is to promote literacy and encourage children, and their families, to read on an ongoing basis. We are constantly in need of donations, including new books, book store gift cards and monetary contributions to help supplement the purchase of books. Please contact us for more information on making a donation, or becoming a Kate's Kart volunteer.

 

Who is Kate?

"Baby Kate" was born in June, 2006, to Krista and Andy Layman. Shortly after her birth, Kate was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot with Pulmonary Artesia associated with the 22q11 chromosomal deletion...or to her two year old brother, Seth, a "broken heart". 

 

Kate was a trooper, enduring 4 open heart surgeries, 5 heart catheterizations, and over 150 days in the hospital. During her stays, one of Kate's favorite things to do was look at books and have others read to her. Her heart and lungs were too fragile, however, and on January 15, 2008, at the age of 18 months, she was called Home and passed from her mother's arms into her Heavenly Father's arms. 

 

In honor of Kate, and her love of books, the Layman family decided to start a rolling book Kart in the pediatric unit of a local hospital as a way to give back to the medical community that had taken such great care of Kate.  The Kart would be filled with new books, and each child would be able to select a book off the Kart to keep.

 

Just 6 months after her passing, the first Kate's Kart started rolling through the halls of Lutheran Hospital in June, 2008.  As of today, we now have Karts in 16 area hospitals, plus inquiries from other hospitals as far away as New York!

 

Layman Family
The Layman Family

Read more about

Kate's Journey

 

 

Read the complete

History of Kate's Kart

 

 

Our Mission

Through the gifting of new books, Kate's Kart strives to provide a comforting diversion to hospitalized children and their families, and to foster a love of books, and ultimately literacy, by encouraging children to read and parents to read to their children.

Hospitals Served by Kate's Kart

Kart #16Adams Memorial Hospital
(Kart #16)

1100 Mercer Ave.

Decatur, IN 46733

Switchboard: (260) 724-2145

Kart #3Jay County Hospital
(Kart #3)
500 W. Votaw St.
Portland, IN 47371
Switchboard: (260) 726-7131
K. K. Contact Person - Cathy Layman-Habegger
Kart #4Parkview Regional Medical Center
(Karts #2 & #4)

11115 Parkview Plaza Dr.
Fort Wayne, IN 46845
Switchboard: (260) 672-5000
Hospital Contact - Laura Nine
K. K. Volunteer Scheduler - Linda Dupont

Kart #10Ball Memorial Hospital
(Kart #10)

2401 W. University Ave.
Muncie, IN 47303
Switchboard: (765) 747-3111
Hospital Contact - Rita Cooper

Kart #14Kosciusko Community Hospital
(Kart #14)
2101 E. DuBois Dr.
Warsaw, IN 46580
Switchboard: (574) 267-3200
Hospital Contact - Sarah Hite

Kart #6Parkview Whitley Hospital
(Kart #6)

353 N. Oak St.
Columbia City, IN 46725
Switchboard: (260) 248-9000
Hospital Contact - Melissa Johnson

Kart #15Bluffton Regional Medical Center
(Kart #15)

303 S. Main St.

Bluffton, IN 46714

Switchboard: (260) 824-3210

Kart #1Lutheran Hospital of Indiana
(Kart #1)
7950 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46804
Switchboard: (260) 435-7001
Toll Free: (800) 444-2001
K. K. Volunteer Scheduler - Nikki Miller

Kart #12Saint Joseph Hospital
(Kart #12)
700 Broadway
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Switchboard: (260) 425-3000
Hospital Contact - Sheryl Mourey

Kart #11Cameron Memorial Community Hospital
(Kart #11)
416 E. Maumee St.
Angola, IN 46703
Switchboard: (260) 665-2141
Hospital Contact - Vicki Harris
Kart #7Parkview Huntington Hospital
(Kart #7)
2001 Stults Rd.
Huntington, IN 46750
Switchboard: (260) 355-3000
Hospital Contact - Juli Johnson
 
Kart #13DeKalb Memorial Hospital
(Kart #13)

1316 E. Seventh St.
Auburn, IN 46706
Switchboard: (260) 925-4600
Kart #9Parkview LaGrange Hospital
(Kart #9)

207 N. Townline Rd.
LaGrange, IN 46761
Switchboard: (260) 463-2143
Hospital Contact - Katie Jackson
 
Kart #8Dupont Hospital
(Kart #8)
2520 E. Dupont Rd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
Switchboard: (260) 416-3000
K. K. Volunteer Scheduler - Linda George
Kart #5Parkview Noble Hospital
(Kart #5)

401 Sawyer Rd.
Kendallville, IN 46755
Switchboard: (260) 347-8700
Hospital Contact - Christina Blaskie
 

 

© 2011 Kate's Kart, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity. Donations are tax exempt.