Testimonials

Wonderful, wonderful is all we can say, staying here was such a joy. We have been here for one month for Wayne’s stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma and it was nice to be close to the hospital and to have the feeling of coming home each day.

The area is quiet and peaceful. We stayed in an apartment setting 10 years ago for Wayne’s first transplant, but this is by far a better choice. I’m sure the Lord led us here and we are so thankful.

Thank you to all the staff for making our stay so wonderful.

Annie’s House was a great option for myself. I’m glad we had the option and opportunity to experience our stay. Annie’s was a comfortable place for us to stay while I went through a stem cell transplant. All the family that came to help also felt at home during their stays. Thanks to Jodie & Greg for everything!

We absolutely loved staying at the Johnston House, in the Sierra Apartment for one month. I especially enjoyed the “home away from home” feel it had — nicely decorated, ample comfortable furniture, especially the recliners were wonderful to relax in or take a nap. The ground floor from the garage is where I (Candice) stayed — it was nearly self contained! I had a handicapped-accessible toilet & shower, bed, TV, sofa, table & chair all in my mini-apartment. This meant that I didn’t have to walk up the flight of stairs for the first few weeks.

We were fortunate enough to rent out the Quincy Apartment next door for my donor and sister-in-law, Amy, her husband and two young kids. We both also had a lot of family and extra caregivers moving in and out in shifts once Amy and I were discharged from the hospital. It was so nice not to have been separated by distance, and since the two units are identical with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, we easily used the space with the size of our group. The kitchen was well-equipped and we often stayed in and made a lot of dinners.

It was wonderful in the fall with the fall foliage to walk around the park and get our exercise when we were strong enough. I loved it here and hate to leave, but look forward to getting back to my three kids ages 5 – 15 years old.

CANDICE & AMY’S BACKSTORY:

I, Candice, was suffering from a rare genetic form of liver disease called Polycystic Liver Disease (PLD). This had been growing throughout my life, but by age 43, had become so intrusive that my 25 pound liver (average is 3 pounds) was compromising the function of every other organ — my breathing, my stomach and ability to keep food down, and my bladder. It was extremely painful and I was bedridden for nearly two years. In the last year, my surgeon did scans and realized there is no cure for this disease and the trial medications (injections) that I was taking once a month was, as my surgeon said, “a case of too little too late.” The surgical team told me that I would need a full liver transplant, but because my liver was working ok on its own, and that the size and ‘internal real estate’ was really the problem, that I needed to find a living donor to be a match for me to give me chance. That person just happened to be my wonderful sister-in-law, Amy. She selflessly went through a very painful surgery and donated two-thirds of her healthy liver to replace my large cystic one. There will never be enough words to thank her. I had about six months to live, and with having small kids, I fell into a deep depression. But then there was Amy — A PERFECT MATCH. I couldn’t believe it.

Amy stayed next door at the Quincy Apartment with her husband and caretaker relatives while I stayed here at the Sierra Apartment with my husband and caretaker relatives who flew back and forth all covering for each other. The layout at the Johnston House was perfect for our situation. Liver recipient and liver donor right next door to each other, enjoying talking about our shared experience, something that very few people will ever have the privilege of experiencing.

I am truly blessed, forever thankful to my donor which mere words can NEVER FULLY express, and so happy we had this bonding & healing time together in the comfort of side-by-side homes.

You have a gem of a home here! I’m glad we found you for our needs. Thanks for these wonderful homes. Thanks for making our experience special. Your homes and our memories we shared here will be with us always!

Sincerely,

We have been staying at the Julianna Apartment in Sunny Place Cottage for the last month. Our son, Doug, had begun his radiation treatments for a brain tumor when he heard of Serenity House Network. After staying in hotels, this has been so comfortable — a place we called “home” — where we could cook and relax. Doug was able to rest when he needed to. Our thanks to Greg & Jodie for making this possible.

We came to Rochester and Mayo Clinic so my daughter could attend the Pediatric Pain Rehabilitation Clinic (PPRC). When we arrived she was in a wheelchair about half of the time with intermittent paralysis. We are leaving without her wheelchair! Miracles truly happen here.

This little house has been the perfect fit for us. It was wonderful to come “home” instead of going to a hotel. I’m so thankful for the staff and “House Mom”, Linda, who checked on us when we requested it, took us to church on Sunday, the staff who mowed our lawn and were available for any house maintenance issues.

Thank you Serenity House Network! It would have been much harder without you.

Blessings!

How wonderful to be able to share the use of this condo with other Mayo Clinic patients. The location of the building means only a short walk for treatment each day.

The Serenity House Network staff has been so helpful in aiding us with any concerns that we had — especially the quadrant geography/system of the city layout. It was confusing at first but once explained made perfect sense.

We have met people in the building with whom we have mutual acquaintances — who would have guessed!

Thank you to all who have made our home away from home perfect in every way.

Thank God for your servants’ hearts to continuously open your home to strangers seeking answers at Mayo Clinic. As our daughter went through multiple tests and appointments, it was awesome knowing we could return to the Patrick Apartment each night with ability to cook in the amazing kitchen and get a great nights sleep before returning to the Clinic the next day.

We would highly recommend the Patrick Apt. to anyone looking for a safe and relaxing ‘home away from home’ while visiting Mayo Clinic.

We are so grateful we found Serenity House Network — particularly Sunny Place Cottage, James Apartment. Everything was perfect! A very special thank you to all the staff, especially Greg, you were nothing but kind and professional at every moment. The atmosphere was full of love and support.

We will be in touch. God bless the important work you do. Words simply cannot describe our gratitude for everything you did to make our stay so wonderful!

All our best,

It was nice to have a comfy place to stay for the evenings and weekends while we were here. After a hectic day at Mayo Clinic, it was nice to come and cook a meal and rest, and have a base.

The comfortable and well-maintained space was greatly appreciated! Blessings in your important work!