Gift of Life Renovations Celebrate ‘Small Town, Long Streets’

Photo Courtesy of Benefis Health System A place of comfort for more than three decades, the Gift of Life house on Benefis Health System’s West Campus has reopened thanks to donor support of our renovation project. The Gift of Life house on East Campus reopened in May after a renovation, also donor-supported. The houses combine for 28 rooms used by cancer patients, parents with babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and others who must travel to Benefis for medical treatment. The new spaces include guest rooms that are better adapted to accessibility. They’re easier to clean, with appliances and fixtures in working order. The houses have new exercise rooms and more comfortable gathering spaces to foster bonds among guests on a similar journey. “Through their generosity, donors have done something truly amazing for patients who are away from home during a challenging time,” Benefis Foundation Chief Operating Officer Jami Wald said. “It was especially heartening to see previous guests who know what a difference Gift of Life made for them pay it forward for the next generation of guests.” Donors contributed more than $1.6 million to make the project possible at both houses. Gift of Life Housing is functional, fresh, and beautiful – because of donors’ ongoing commitment to those Gift of Life serves, Wald said. “At Gift of Life, we celebrate Montana as a ‘small town with long streets,’” Wald said. “That means looking out for our neighbors no matter the distance, and that’s what Gift of Life is all about.” Gift of Life began because a cancer patient from the Bozeman area found the travel to treatment nearly as grueling as the chemotherapy she needed. Her idea of a place for patients to rest and recuperate and her generous gift at her passing grew into Gift of Life. Stays continue to be covered by donor contributions. In the last five years, Gift of Life has hosted guests who were up to 7,734 miles from home. Stays have been overnight and up to four months as medical needs dictate. For some guests, it’s the difference between getting treatment and not, between a grueling drive on winter roads or a cozy no-cost place to recuperate before heading home. “Gift of Life is a legacy of love that has impacted the lives of more than 4,800 people who have stayed at Gift of Life since its founding three decades ago,” Wald said. “It’s literally a lifesaver for rural Montanans.” Before and After Photo Courtesy of Benefis Health System