DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF)- The American Cancer Society breaks ground on a Hope Lodge facility to give cancer patients and caregivers a place to stay when traveling to North Texas to receive treatment.The 40,000 square-foot facility will include 50 private guests suites, common living rooms, dining areas, mediation rooms, library, laundry rooms and an outside garden. The facility will be named the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge in recognition of their lead gift, which is part of a $25 million campaign. It is located on property donated by Baylor Scott & White Health adjacent to its Baylor University Medical Center campus. Each year, thousands of cancer patients travel from throughout the region to receive potentially life-saving cancer treatment in North Texas. Often, patients and their families spend days, weeks, even months away from home. The emotional and financial toll of the loss of income, medical bills, hotel rooms and dining out can be staggering. Once the doors are opened in 2021, the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge is expected to provide more than 18,000 nights of free lodging annually. The American Cancer Society’s South Region headquarters also will be housed at this location. “The American Cancer Society is committed to removing the emotional, physical and financial burdens that many cancer patients must face when they travel away from home for treatment,” said Jeff Fehlis, executive vice president for the American Cancer Society’s South Region. Fehlis says they will soon be able to provide a home away from home for cancer patients allowing them to focus on getting better. “This project, the first of its kind in North Texas, is a natural extension of our mission and deep commitment to patients,” said Jim Hinton, CEO, Baylor Scott & White Health. “The Gene and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge will be a haven for healing on patients’ journeys; its impact will be exponential, as it will not only help those fighting cancer, but those fighting alongside them.”The American Cancer Society operates more than 30 Hope Lodge facilities nationwide. Each Hope Lodge community offers cancer patients and their caregivers a free place to stay when their treatment is away from home. Since 1984, the American Cancer Society has provided more than 5.6 million nights of lodging to patients across the country.
