Caring People — Caring for People
Marybeth’s Cottage will make a difference in the lives of Jacksonville patients and caregivers by providing a home-away-from-home with rest and encouragement. We’re currently in the project planning and development phase. We are looking for the right property location, selecting board members and fundraising. We need your help…whatever your skills, talents or resources.
Our Vision
The medical needs of Jacksonville patients fluctuate, but one need stays the same…hospitality. Research and personal testimonies prove that hospitality houses improve patient’s treatment and caregiver’s physical, emotional and mental well-being.
Our Story Began on September 10, 1997
At nine years old, my daughter Marybeth fell on the floor-unconscious with an unexpected seizure. This would be the first of hundreds of episodes that would change our family forever. We were determined to get answers. Our new normal included traveling the country seeking advice from medical experts.
On our last trip to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN we were told to plan for two weeks of testing and treatment. Those two weeks turned into four months of consultations, tests, treatments, and life-threatening hospitalizations. Marybeth received world class medical treatment, but the comfort and encouragement we experienced at a hospitality house gave us something more–Hope.
Surrounded by other patients and caregivers, we felt unexplainable peace because they understood the rollercoaster of emotions we were experiencing. Since they lived it, they “got it.” Sharing a home with others who oscillated daily between hope and despair created a camaraderie we all needed.
Spending time at the hospitality house confirmed Marybeth was more than her illness. Our souls needed the treatment that only a house filled with warm conversation and laughter could supply. Our bodies craved the comforts of home: soft beds and hearty meals, refreshing showers and clean laundry.
Marybeth learned firsthand the impact of a kind word, loving hug or much-needed laugh. Sharing a meal, or huddling on living room sofas, she met guests facing uncertainly with the courage to face the days ahead.
In 2013, Marybeth passed away at the age of 24. Yet, her legacy is the launchpad for Marybeth’s Cottage in Jacksonville, Florida.
Hospitality houses are the un-prescribed medication that hospitals, patients, and their families desperately need.
We know once completed the Cottage’s support, coupled with the hospitals care, will achieve the best outcome.
