Reader-submitted content: Hope Lodge supporting cancer patients

Cancer patients and their caregivers traveling to Lubbock for cancer treatments have found new hope for the past year.

Since the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge in Lubbock opened its doors, the “home away from home” has made great strides in the fight to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

In the past year, the Lodge has supported more than 400 guests, totaling 5,531 free nights of housing for cancer patients and their families traveling to Lubbock for treatment. The typical guest at Hope Lodge stayed 12 nights, and Hope Lodge has saved all patient guests over $636,000.

Since opening, the 32-room facility has offered 19 residents from Clovis 547 nights of free lodging, as well as transportation to and from their treatment, if needed. For Clovis resident Irene Harlow, Hope Lodge made her family's cancer treatment “absolutely doable.” “The people, staff, other caregivers and cancer patients are awesome! - God is here!” said Mrs. Harlow of their Hope Lodge experience.

To commemorate its birthday celebration, the Society is asking everyone to consider making a donation in honor of your next birthday. By sponsoring an amount equal or greater than your age, the Society is keeping hope alive by funding the vital programs and services provided by Hope Lodge Lubbock. For more details, visit hopelodgelubbock.org.

Hope Lodge staff and volunteers have offered on-site programs, such as potluck dinners, craft projects, educational classes, personalized fitness consultations, and game nights. The Lodge is continuing to serve a unique role in bringing together cancer patients and caregivers who emotionally support each other and learn from one another.

“When the best hope for recovery is through a cancer center far from home, Hope Lodge provides a nurturing environment where patients and caregivers can stay during treatment and focus on recovery,” Robin Gardner, director of Hope Lodge Lubbock for the American Cancer Society, said. “We are proud of how things turned out. Hope Lodge's reality is exceeding our dreams, and we are thankful for everyone's support.”

Hope Lodge Lubbock is the only Hope Lodge in Texas and started because medical professionals and community leaders in Lubbock recognized the tremendous need for lodging among patients traveling to Lubbock for cancer treatments. For more information about Hope Lodge, contact your American Cancer Society at 1.800.227.2345 or visit hopelodgelubbock.org.

— Submitted by Mikell Bollinger of the American Cancer Society