When Lisa Stiffler’s mother fell critically ill her biggest concern was being by her mother’s side. Although she was hundreds of miles from her home, Lisa was able to focus on what mattered because of the convenience and hospitality of the Hackerman-Patz House for AAMC patient family members.
I live in Maine and when I my mom was admitted Anne Arundel Medical Center, we were in crisis and the Hackerman-Patz House was the best thing that ever happened to me.
When I got an emergency phone call that my mom was in the intensive care unit, I hopped on the next flight out. It was such an emotional time as I sat with my mom. So all day, I was never thinking, ‘where am I going to stay?’ It was getting late and I asked the nurse about hotels, and she said, “We’ve got plenty of hotels around, but have you ever heard of the Hackerman-Patz House?”
It was like a godsend. I was there for 18 days and because it was so reasonable I saved some money on what was a very expensive trip. But it was also just a very comforting place to be. The greeting of the staff and the volunteers were wonderful. After feeling stressed and overwhelmed all day, I felt like the director and staff bent over backwards for me.
At the end of the day, I looked forward to going there. It was nice. There were always fresh flowers sitting on the counter. One night I walked in and I didn’t feel like going to bed yet, so I turned on the TV and made a cup of tea. I just relaxed on the comfy couch. There were snacks. Someone had bought fresh fruit. It was just nice that I could sit there and have something healthy.
I’d spend the entire day with my mom, then I’d go back to the Hackerman-Patz house to have a cup of coffee or sleep—just go back and forth. And I was able to do laundry. I packed so quickly, I basically had the outfit I came in and a couple days of clothing.
Thank God, my mother recovered and after a couple of months in rehab was well enough to go home. But while she was in the hospital, the Hackerman-Patz House just made it so easy for me to be there for her.
