KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The idea behind the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge is to give hope to people who desperately need it — and it seems to be working.
"It's been a huge blessing," cancer survivor Jeff Minnis said.
Minnis was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer in July 2018. After finding out his younger brother was a full match for a transplant, Jeff's wife and caregiver was diagnosed with breast cancer.
"We were both doing treatment at the same time basically," Holly Minnis said.
The couple lives in Chillicothe, Missouri — nearly two-hour drive from the clinic where they received treatment.
"We would have had to find an apartment or a hotel or somewhere to stay, because he had to be within 30 minutes of the clinic," Holly said.
Instead, they found a home away from home at the Hope Lodge, a place where out-of-town patients can stay for free.
This year, the average stay for a Hope Lodge guest is 17 days.
After his transplant in January 2019, Jeff had to stay in Kansas City for 100 days. The couple would have spent a small fortune on hotel stays alone were it not for Hope Lodge, which relies on donations to keep the lights on and doors open.
"It does cost around $600,000 a year to fund the Hope Lodge and keep it open," Hope Lodge Senior Manager Danica Cherry said.
The American Cancer Society will host its annual "Shave to Save" fundraiser April 12 for Hope Lodge.
The event will take place at The Abbott — 1901 Cherry Street in Kansas City, Missouri — and aims to raise $200,000.
