The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge communities.

THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY HOPE LODGE COMMUNITIES:

FOR CANCER PATIENTS WHO NEED TO TRAVEL FOR TREATMENT

Tina Martin and David Medford were high school sweethearts who went to the prom together, but lost touch over the years. Thirty-five years later, the pair rekindled their love story through social media, and now Tina considers herself blessed to have David by her side as her caregiver helping her navigate a very rare, aggressive can­cer called AITL (angioimmunoblastic t-cell lymphoma). “God put us together,” said Tina. “We were meant to be.”

The pair live in Windsor, Pennsylvania. Tina was misdiagnosed twice before she received an accurate diagnosis at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. The drive from their home to Johns Hopkins for treatment takes one and a half hours, so the couple were incredibly grateful to stay cost-free at the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Baltimore, one of 32 American Cancer Society Hope Lodge communities in the U.S. and Puerto Rico where cancer patients who need to travel long distance for cancer treatment can stay.

“There’s no way we could afford a hotel,” said Tina, who is on disability and has been receiving cancer treatment for the past two years. This was their second Hope Lodge stay for 55 days so that Tina could receive a bone marrow transplant. Their previous stay was three weeks.

The American Cancer Society Hope Lodge communities across the country provide a free place to stay during treatment to remove cost barriers to care so that people with cancer can focus on getting better. These communities pro­vide comfortable guest suites with private baths, as well as inviting spaces with all the comforts of home, including a communal kitchen where guests can store their groceries and prepare their own meals, dining area, laundry rooms, and places to gather or find a quiet respite – all at no cost to guests.

“Hope Lodge is wonderful. I can sleep so well here. The staff are so accommodating. Having access to a kitchen is absolutely great. And the free transportation van to the hospital makes it so possible to be treated. Without Hope Lodge, I wouldn’t be able to get this treat­ment. I feel grateful and blessed,” said Tina.

Hope Lodge guests don’t just find a place to stay – they find a commu­nity of support and an emotional connection with others facing the same journey.

“As a caregiver, I have a sense of peace and security at Hope Lodge,” said David. “I can take better care of Tina here. Hope Lodge gives us hope. It truly takes a village. It makes me believe that we can do this.”

Since 1970, Hope Lodge com­munities have provided more than six-million-night stays to cancer patients. Approximately 29,000 patients and caregivers are hosted annually, providing approximately 500,000 total nights of stays and saving guests $55 million in total lodging costs. With hotel rooms costing an average of $190 a night and many patients needing weeks or months of outpatient treatment, the average guest’s savings for lodging is $9,000.

Volunteer groups often visit their local Hope Lodge to host communal guest dinners and activities such as Bingo, games, arts and crafts, yoga, or meditation, and to give concerts or play live music.

Donations are also welcome to help support Hope Lodge operations and supplies. The 26-guest room Baltimore Hope Lodge, where Tina and David stayed, is in the midst of a Capital Campaign to build a new, larger, reimagined, state-of-the-art Hope Lodge that will feature eight additional guest rooms with private bathrooms, increasing its capacity by 30%. Hope Lodge Baltimore is often full with a waiting list. The future, 34-guest room Hope Lodge will help decrease barriers to care and increase health equity. It will be located across from the present Hope Lodge that opened in 1987 on West Lexington Street on the University of Maryland campus.

For information and to donate to the Hope Lodge Baltimore Capital Campaign, see www.hopeishomebaltimore.org.

For a complete listing of Hope Lodge communities, to support Hope Lodge with a donation, or to volunteer, see www.cancer.org/HopeLodge.

Tina and David of Southern Pennsylvania stayed at Hope Lodge Baltimore over the winter holidays during her cancer treatment at John Hopkins Cancer Center

A Hope Lodge guest rings the Hope Bell as she prepares to go home following her stay and treatment

Pull quote: “Hope Lodge is more than just a room, more than just a space for me to stay. It was, and it still is, relief to my heart and to my soul. ”Hilda, Cancer Survivor”

Volunteer groups often visit their local Hope Lodge to host communal guest dinners and activities such as Bingo, games, arts and crafts, yoga, or meditation, and to give concerts or play live music.

Donations are also welcome to help support Hope Lodge operations and supplies.