News
Speech for the Hope Lodge Cincinnati October 1, 2008
by Carolyn Horn (caregiver for her husband, Wayne Horn)
The first time cancer ever came into our life was in 2000. I was the Co-sponsor and my husband was the Logistic Coordinator for the Relay for Life Rally in Grant County, KY. Along with the committee, we worked and met with teams of people from all walks of life from family members to cancer survivors for ideas and ways to raise money in the fight against cancer. What an eye-opening experience this was for both of us. Little did I know, God was training me and preparing me for a more intense experience down the road.
The second incident was in June 2001. My father was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died 8 days later after being diagnosed. I spent 24 hours a day with him, leaving his side only 1 time. God gave me awesome moments with my dad in those 8 days, which I will have with me forever. Once again, God was still training me and preparing me for yet a different journey with cancer.
The Hope Lodge came into our life after my husband, Wayne, was diagnosed with cancer in September 2006. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 (of 4 stages) of Metastatic Melanoma. We have had the opportunity to stay at the Cincinnati Hope Lodge on 6 different occasions and I can not say enough about the Hope Lodge, the employees, volunteers, other caregivers and patients we have come into contact with. They are so caring and compassionate. Thanks to the generosity from the corporate and private sponsors, the Hope Lodge is a beautiful well-equipped facility which helps to ease some of our pain, worries and concerns that we are going through. It is decorated so nicely with the patients and caregivers in mind that Wayne feels comfortable here while he is going through his treatments, surgeries and appointments. We are so blessed by the companies and individuals that have made the Cincinnati Hope Lodge possible. Without such a wonderful commitment on the sponsors' part, our journey would be even more difficult than it already is.
We are believers in God, and we have trusted Christ through the entire journey. Even through this trip was not a chosen one, God has used the excursion to strengthen our commitment and trust to God, and to each other. He has used this adversity to create a new faith in us. The cancer has been the thing that God has used to shatter us, and then put us back together again in a different way. Wayne and I will never be the people we were before.
Even though, the Hope Lodge is a "bittersweet" place, it has been a great benefit with our journey. When we stay at the Hope Lodge for another one of our visits, we see people that we have already met along the way. We are so glad to see them but then we are so sad to see them again because it sometimes means things are not going so well.
The Hope Lodge and the American Cancer Society of Cincinnati is filled with employees and volunteers that go far beyond their "call of duty" to help our battle, fighting cancer. They support us and help us to cope one day, one hour, one moment at a time! All of this would never be possible if it were not for the corporate and private sponsors like Mr. Musekamp and the Musekamp Family. I would like to say THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for making this possible. We are so blessed to be surrounded by such loving and caring people in such a superb facility!