Hope for the Holidays for Cancer Patients at Hope Lodge Baltimore

Tina Martin and David Medford were high school sweethearts who went to the prom together, but lost touch over the years. Thirty-five years later, the pair rekindled their love story through social media, and now Tina considers herself blessed to have David by her side as her caregiver helping her navigate a very rare, aggressive cancer called AITL (angioimmunoblastic t-cell lymphoma). “God put us together,” said Tina. “We were meant to be.”

Although the pair grew up in Glen Burnie, Maryland, they live in Windsor, Pennsylvania. Tina was misdiagnosed twice before she received an accurate diagnosis at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The drive from their home to Johns Hopkins for treatment takes one and a half hours, so the couple are incredibly grateful to stay at the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Baltimore, which is cost-free.

“There’s no way we could afford a hotel,” says Tina, who is on disability and has been receiving cancer treatment for the past two years. This is their second Hope Lodge stay – the previous one was three weeks. This one will be 55 days, through the holiday season. Their hope is that Tina goes into remission as a result of the bone marrow transplant she had last week.

“Hope Lodge is wonderful. I can sleep so well here. The staff are so accommodating. Having access to a kitchen is absolutely great. And the free transportation to the hospital makes it so possible to be treated. Without Hope Lodge, I wouldn’t be able to get this treatment. I feel grateful and blessed,” said Tina.

“As a caregiver, I have a sense of peace and security at Hope Lodge,” said David. “I can take better care of Tina here. Hope Lodge gives us hope. It truly takes a village. It makes me believe that we can do this.”

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