Houston Haven has been such an incredible blessing to my family and me. In October of 2019, I found out that the tumor I had removed from my spine nine years ago was coming back. I was informed that the best course of action was proton radiation of my spine at MD Anderson.

 

When I found out that the treatment would be every day Monday through Friday for six weeks, I began to worry. The logistics of having to be in another city for six weeks seemed overwhelming. I had no idea where to begin or how we would be able to afford a place to stay along with treatment.

 

A dear friend of mine told me that her cousin attends church with a woman who had started a non-profit as a way to honor her mother's memory. That lady was Jane and the non-profit was Houston Haven. I visited the website and was immediately hopeful. We were relieved and thankful when we found out that Houston Haven was available for us to rent at a very affordable rate.

 

Houston Haven became a home away from home. It provided me with a comfortable place to come home to after treatment to rest and heal. It also provided a place for my children to be able to come stay with me. We homeschool and the weeks they came to visit, we were able to do our schoolwork around the dining table much like we do at our north Texas home.

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We were able to cuddle up on the couch to watch a movie or read The Penderwicks together. We had family meals full of laughter and conversation. These simple things we often take for granted, but while going through treatment, they meant everything to me. Houston Haven allowed us to maintain some sense of normalcy during a challenging time.

 

We also experienced so much generosity at Houston Haven. People we had never met made donations of gift cards and meals to us. Best of all we had so many people praying for my family and healing for me. We will forever be grateful for all of the people who prayed for us and made our time in Houston so much easier than we could have hoped for.

 

I know Houston Haven will continue to bless families for years to come. They will provide a safe and comfortable home for people going through some of the most challenging times of their lives. I pray that they will be able to expand to meet the needs of even more people.