The old Pierstorff House on Terrace Avenue in Middleton is still on its way to becoming a "home away from home " for recovering organ, stem cell and bone marrow transplant patients, but money is still needed to open its doors.

After buying the house in July 2006, Cindy and Brian Herbst have embarked on a mission to raise money to pay off the mortgage, remodel the Victorian building and establish an endowment to help those who can 't afford to stay in Restoring Hope Transplant House.

"We 're being aggressive because the longer it takes, we are turning away people, " Cindy Herbst said. Interest in the house has been huge, she said, noting that as many as 10 people a day have inquired about the as-yet-unopened facility. "They want a place that feels like home. "

Initially, the Herbsts planned to open up right away, but after architectural and financial assessments, they decided paying off the mortgage first made the most sense and would give them the most flexibility to help patients in the long run.

The remodeling of the house into a 16-bedroom facility with private baths, a new kitchen and gathering areas is slated to cost a little more than $1 million. But Herbst said a significant chunk of that will be offset by people who have offered to do pro-bono and in-kind volunteer work.

It 's easy to get lost in the details of a project of this magnitude, Herbst said, but she knows it 's crucial to stay focused on the people who will someday use the house.

"If it 's all building, building building, this doesn 't translate to faces and families. This isn 't a house that is about bricks and furniture, " she said. "Remember that this is about people. "

Some of the biggest help has come from transplant patients, Herbst said. "I think our house, in a lot of ways, is about paying it forward, " she said. The couple got the idea to idea the transplant house after Brian Herbst 's parents stayed in a similar facility in Rochester, Minn., when his father was stem-cell transplants due to cancer.

Donations for the transplant house can be sent to Restoring Hope Transplant House, c/o Capitol Bank, 710 N. High Point Road, Madison, WI 53717. Donations of all sizes are accepted, Herbst said, noting one of the most touching gifts was a $2 donation from a little girl 's allowance. "I keep that by my computer to remind me of the spirit of giving, " she said.

Herbst also asked people to sign up to be organ donors. She knows some people are anxious about organ donation, but her own experiences have shown just how powerful donation can be.

Just a few weeks ago, one of Herbst 's friends -- who had worked with her on the house -- died of an aneurysm, and her organs were donated.

"It was better knowing that she was teaching us in her last heroic moments how to give again, " she said. "Life would be renewed in someone else, and there didn 't have to be two tragedies. "

Visit www.restoringhope.org for more information on the project.

-- Brittany Schoepp

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