PAMELA HARRIS
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 11:39 am

About the same time that Sun Studios was created, lifelong Memphian Irvin Fleming decided to become a doctor. He got his medical degree from UT Health Science Center, served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, and did post-graduate work at Sloane-Kettering in New York City. He went on to be a staff surgeon at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for more than 35 years. A renowned oncologist, it’s no surprise that Fleming chose to volunteer for the American Cancer Society (ACS). He even served as the national president in 1993-1994.

Somewhere along the way Fleming and the Mid-South Division of the ACS recognized a local need. Cancer patients often traveled long distances to come to Memphis for surgery and/or chemo or radiation treatments. They couldn’t all afford to stay at the Peabody Hotel for a few days. Or a Holiday Inn. Or Motel 6. Many of them slept in their cars in hospital parking lots because they could not afford a hotel room. For others, the burden of the disease, the treatments and the travel was so overwhelming that they just…gave up.

So Fleming, often called the driving force behind the project, the Mid-South ACS and many generous donors decided to build a hotel that would allow any cancer patient and their family or caregivers who came to Memphis to stay free of charge during their treatments - no matter their financial status. The Harrah’s Foundation (now known as the Caesar’s Foundation) became involved and donated a $2- million grant to get construction started. It was the largest one-time donation ever received by the Mid-South Division of the ACS. The foundation is the charitable giving arm of Caesar’s Entertainment, parent company of Harrah’s, Tunica Roadhouse, and Horseshoe Casinos in Tunica, Miss.

Other generous lead donors were the University of Tennessee Health Science Center that donated a no-cost lease of land valued at $1.5 million and $1-million grants from The Assisi Foundation of Memphis, Inc., and the Plough Foundation.

During the time that Hope Lodge was being built, 39-year-old Memphis real estate agent, property manager and mother of two pre-school daughters, Kim Culbreath, discovered a lump in her breast. A friend put Kim in touch with Joe Baier, founder and owner of the Mroz Baier Breast Clinic. Joe made sure Kim got right in, but the diagnosis was not good. Kim was told that she had triple negative breast cancer, a rare aggressive form of the disease. In October of 2009, while walls were being raised at the Hope Lodge, Christine Mroz, MD, performed a double mastectomy on Kim.

In December 2009, Kim began chemo treatments at West Clinic, under the supervision of Kurt Tauer, MD. A long recovery began. In the spring of 2010, Lou Adams, MD, of the Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis, began her reconstructive surgery process. Several months later in the first week of September, Kim underwent her final reconstructive surgery.

The nightmare was over, and while recovering from that final surgery, Kim began to search for a new job. During the last week of September, while still frail, Kim landed an interview with the American Cancer Society. Kim’s fresh experience with a life-threatening form of cancer made her a perfect candidate for the job. On October 4^th, just one year after finding that cancerous lump in her breast, Kim Culbreath became the director of the newly built Harrah’s Hope Lodge.

Who better to greet the patients and their families who had just been given a cancer diagnosis? Kim says that many times when guests check in, she sees that familiar look of despair in their eyes. When she mentions that she is a survivor, an instant connection is formed.

Kim recently gave me a tour of Hope Lodge. It is much the same as most hotels: front desk, lobby area, eating area and work-out room. The rooms are pleasantly appointed and beautifully decorated. There are common areas with books and games. The walls are decorated with donated art by Memphian, Ken Lecco.

The kitchen is impressive. There are four “cooking” stations where guests can prepare their own meals. Volunteers can also donate dinners for guests.

The layout of the lodge encourages guests to mingle. And by doing so, something therapeutic takes place. They share. They cry. They laugh. They begin to heal.

Fleming would have been thrilled to see this kind of healing taking place at the Hope Lodge. He did live long enough to see the lodge open in November of 2010, before his death last August.

What can YOU do to help?

The Mid-South Chapter of the American Cancer Society relies on donations from the public to keep the Hope Lodge running. Here are ways you can help:

• Sponsor A Guest Suite. The best way to donate is to sponsor a guest suite with naming rights, meaning your name, family name, and medical facility’s name will appear on a plate outside the suite. It’s $50,000 and can be paid over five years.
• Invite Kim to your Medical Practice for an “Education Hour” to talk to your staff about referring patients to the Lodge.
• Volunteer. Work the front desk, days, nights, weekends. Shuttle drivers are needed to transport patients to and from treatments all over the city. Peak hours are 9:30 am and between 1 pm and 3 pm. Sponsor a game night! Caesars Foundation has special volunteers who visit once a month and sponsor a game night for guests. You or your organization could do the same.
• Host a Dinner for Guests (30-40 people) Since there is no restaurant and guests are responsible for “cooking” their own dinner, it’s nice to give them a break. This can be anything from sandwiches or pizza to something catered.

The Scope of the Problem

It’s rare to find one of us whose life has not been touched by cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates one in two men will get a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, and one in three women will contract cancer in their lifetime.

Memphis has become an important destination for cancer care. Let’s show weary and ill travelers that Memphis not only has world-class healthcare but that it is a city that cares. Your donations can help guarantee that.

To make your donation or volunteer, call the Harrah’s Hope Lodge at 901-524-5500.