During the last two years our goal has been to locate and acquire a facility to provide a home for these patients, and their twenty-four hour a day caregiver, who are undergoing treatment for hematological malignancies and bone marrow/stem cell transplants. The Miracle House is being specifically designed to provide adequate living space, a positive and supportive atmosphere and an alternative for patients who must travel great distances in order to receive specialized treatment not available in their own communities. The bone marrow transplant patients come to the Charleston area from throughout South Carolina and from the surrounding states. Insurance does not cover their stay in local hotels and patients must pay out of pocket for all living expenses. The Miracle House will provide for better patient care for those receiving "routine" treatments for these diseases and for those in related research projects who cannot afford to stay in close proximity to the area professionals, hospitals, and cancer center.

The purpose of the Miracle House is to provide a "home like" atmosphere for interaction among other patients and their caregivers, and to provide an opportunity to focus on the additional needs of transplant patients. Leukemia treatment far from home is a financial and emotional burden to families. We intend to provide housing for patients and their caregivers regardless of their financial situation. However, what often takes the heaviest toll on patients is the emotional isolation of living away from family and friends when their support and closeness is most needed. The Miracle House will bring these patients together and allow them and their caregivers to share their common experiences and problems, to learn from each other, and to gain strength from knowing that they do not have to face these challenges alone. The emotional and financial hardship of obtaining specialized treatment in an unfamiliar city adds to the already traumatic pressures facing patients and their families. The Miracle House will help to ease this burden by providing a "Home Away From Home."