Cancer patients who travel miles away from home for treatment in Jackson---now have a place to call home while undergoing treatment. MPB's Jasmine Ellis reports.
The Gertrude C. Ford Hope Lodge is providing a nurturing environment for cancer patients and their caregivers. Established through the American Cancer Society, the facility aims to give residents some peace of mind during treatments. Allison Tyler is executive director of the American Cancer Society. She says the lodge will take patients to and from their appointments at hospitals in the Jackson area.
"We have a lot of people that are traveling over 40 miles to receive their cancer treatment," said Tyler. "And we need to increase the number of people when they are diagnosed that complete their treatment because that's going to save more lives in the state of Mississippi. So truly it's about saving lives to us. And this will help people finish their treatment and ultimately save their life."
Patsy Carr of Monticello has been a breast cancer survivor for the last 16 years. Her husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor last month. Carr says having a place like Hope Lodge where patients and their families can stay while undergoing treatment is a blessing.
"We've been commuting back and forth from Lawrence County from Monticello," said Carr. "It's 140 miles round-trip every day, five days a week, to come for treatment. We talked to the social worker over at the St. Dominic's Cancer Center and we told her we would like to stay this week. And it's been a very good experience for us. It's like a home away from home."
The American Cancer Society says the lodging facility is free of charge for patients and caregivers.
