GILBERT, Ariz. — Battling cancer can take a toll on patients and their families and it can be made even worse when patients live too far away to get the necessary treatment.
That's why Banner Gateway Medical Center and Taylor Morrison Homes partnered to build units in Gilbert to serve as temporary homes for patients and their caregivers.
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The fully furnished units, located 100 yards from the treatment facility, will house 80 families needing long-term lodging while undergoing treatment.
Cecilia Cortez is a patient who lives a long distance from the life-saving care she needs. She and her daughter, Gissel Quiroz, have moved into one of the units.
Cortez was a prime candidate to utilize one of the units free of charge because of her distance from the necessary health care. The family is overwhelmed with gratitude.
"She's grateful for everyone who made this happen especially those that can't get to their appointments," Quiroz said.
The units are furnished to ensure comfort and safety. They were built by Scottsdale-based homebuilder Taylor Morrison.
Sheryl Palmer is the homebuilder's chairman and CEO. She told 12News the project has been five years in the making.
"We don't want them to worry about 'where am I going to stay, what am I going to eat, how will I get to treatments?' For hotel stays, it can be $5,000 to $6,000," said Palmer.
It's a sentiment echoed by Michael Herring, the CEO of Banner Gateway Medical Center.
"We walked through here and just imagined being in the patient's shoes, not to mention being outside of the Phoenix area, so this is really just taking away that burden," said Herring.
The goal is to give families a comfortable place to feel calm and ultimately get the care they need to be cured.
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