When Raymond hooked up his camper and boat in Ohio, embarking on a fishing adventure in Devils Lake, his children never imagined they would be making an emergency cross-country trip to see their father before heart surgery at Altru Hospital.
Dreams of Whopper Walleyes
Raymond’s 16-plus hour trek to North Dakota was uneventful. When he arrived, his plans were rearranged due to his fishing companion encountering family and medical emergencies that could not be avoided. Raymond waited patiently with dreams of whopper walleyes on his fishing hook. Throughout his wait, he began to not feel well himself and was in communication with his children, planning his return to Ohio. With the persuasion of one of his daughters, he decided he should see a local physician to ensure he was healthy enough for the journey home.
An examination in the Devils Lake emergency room soon landed him in Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, due to cardiac ischemia and the need for cardiac catheterization.
Scrambling to See Dad
Raymond spent almost two days in the hospital without family, who were scrambling to secure emergency travel to Grand Forks to be with their father who was needing extensive heart care. When boarding airplanes in different parts of the country, four of his five children had no arranged plans for accommodations once they arrived. Raymond’s daughter, Patty, shared, “We thought we may have to take turns sleeping in Dad’s small camper.”
By the time family arrived and surgery was complete, arrangements had been made for accommodations at the Sunshine Hospitality Home.
For Raymond’s adult children, the availability of the Sunshine Hospitality Home has been a blessing at such a stressful time. Patty was amazed that the home was open to all, without age or family size restrictions, nor medical care facility parameters.
A Place of Comfort, Compassion and Convenience
Altru’s Sunshine Hospitality Home is a place of comfort, compassion and convenience for patients and their families who must travel for healthcare needs. With amenities like the great room, music room and kitchen facilities (where the family was preparing chicken in the crockpot as we spoke) to Patty’s favorite area, the back patio, the staff at Sunshine Hospitality Home strive to make the stay as comfortable and homelike as possible.
“The patio is beautiful and so is the park and Japanese garden across the road,” smiles Patty.
Since Raymond’s discharge from Altru Hospital, he has been recovering at Sunshine Hospitality Home and will spend over a week until his follow-up appointment before flying home to Ohio.
Two of his children have headed southeast, carrying not only his camper and boat, but also thankful hearts for the hospitality at Sunshine Hospitality Home and care at Altru Health System.
“The room itself and hospitality has been phenomenal,” shares Patty. “Thank you.”
