Karen Gittings, Assistant Professor of Nursing at Francis Marion University, shares the story of her experience with the Guest House at McLeod during her husband’s illness.

In the summer of 2010, my husband had open heart surgery. In the days following his surgery, I was sleeping on the floor of the waiting room when a patient representative offered me use of the Guest House at McLeod.

The Guest House is a tremendous help to individuals whose loved ones are undergoing treatment, regardless of the distance they live from the hospital. Although I lived in Darlington, it still seemed too far away from my husband. However, the Guest House became a home away from home for me.

My husband recovered, and we were able to return home, but he died a few months later in November. I now try to honor him by helping other families like ours.