Steve and Sara Harrold traveled from the Boston area to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) after he was diagnosed with throat cancer — they were able to call Hope Lodge home throughout his treatment.
Steve Harrold felt an immediate sense of dread as he watched the technician’s eyes widen during an image-guided scope of his throat. “I could tell that what she was looking at was not good,” he recalls.
Steve had been experiencing slight difficulty swallowing, which he mentioned to his dentist during a routine cleaning. Those first signs of throat cancer led to a CT scan, which confirmed a grape-size cancerous mass in his right tonsil.
“It was like a cosmic punch to be told at age 63 and in excellent health that I had throat cancer, and it shook the ground under my feet,” says Steve, who is married and the father of two adult children. “My mind was racing, but my wife, Sara, was a rock. She took me by the hand and said we would handle it together.”
Though he and Sara live in Massachusetts, Steve chose to receive treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in Manhattan. He was able to take advantage of a benefit offered through his employer, Corning, Inc., which partners with MSK Direct, a program that offers expedited access to MSK’s world-class cancer care for employees and their families.
While Steve underwent treatment at MSK, he and Sara were able to stay at Hope Lodge in Manhattan. Hope Lodge, which is run by the American Cancer Society, offers free lodging for adult patients being treated for cancer at any New York City hospital. It was their home away from home for nearly two months.
“Hope Lodge was everything we had hoped it would be and more,” says Sara, adding that they connected with other families staying there who were going through a similar diagnosis and treatment. “It was comfortable and convenient, and I was grateful for the overall sense of community during this difficult time.”
MSK Direct Benefits
MSK was the first and only cancer center Steve consulted upon diagnosis, even though he and Sara live in Newburyport, Massachusetts, about an hour outside of Boston. Steve knew people who had a good outcome after being treated at MSK — and also knew that MSK Direct could quickly connect him with MSK experts who specialize in treating head and neck cancers.
Within just two days, MSK Direct helped him book a consult with MSK head and neck surgeon Babak Givi, MD, in New York City.
“Our fears were dispelled because he approached us calmly and compassionately and made us feel comfortable knowing that MSK was experienced in treating the specific type of tumor I had,” explains Steve. “This gave us the confidence that we were in the right place and that I could get through this.”
“We talked about the option of having another consult at a hospital in Boston because of what we thought would be the convenience of it all,” adds Sara. “But we felt so good and reassured after our first visit to MSK, we just knew that was where we wanted to be.”
Planning Cancer Care Far From Home
More than 2,000 people travel more than 150 miles for cancer care at MSK every year. In 2024, more than 500 patients from more than 70 countries made the trip to the United States for treatment or consults at MSK.
MSK head and neck surgeon Dr. Babak Givi
MSK offers many resources for the families who travel from around the U.S. to MSK for care, including counseling from social workers on coping with a cancer diagnosis. Some patients may be eligible for additional support to address their practical and logistical concerns surrounding transportation and accommodations near MSK treatment locations.
The same is true for patients coming from other countries. “Our dedicated advisors provide individualized assistance to make sure every international patient feels supported and engaged from the moment they contact us to arrange for care,” says Alexandra Forauer, Director of the Bobst International Center at MSK.
Where To Stay During Cancer Treatment at MSK
For Steve, the MSK treatment for throat cancer involved radiation therapy five days a week for seven weeks. This would be supplemented with six infusions of chemotherapy and intravenous hydration before, during, and at the end of each chemotherapy session.
Steve and Sara recognized that they needed to stay in Manhattan during treatment, but it was December, when accommodations are tight and at a premium during the holiday tourist season.
Steve and Sara in the communal kitchen at Hope Lodge in Manhattan
“We were scrambling. Our main question to our care team was, ‘Where are we going to live?’” says Steve.
That’s when his radiation oncologist, Sean McBride, MD, referred him to Emma Uribe, LMSW, a clinical social worker at MSK. The next day, she called Steve to discuss his options, which included Hope Lodge as well as a list of nearby hotels that offer discounted rates for people getting care at MSK.
She put in a request on their behalf to stay at Hope Lodge, which places patients on a first come, first served basis. In addition to being open to cancer patients in treatment at any hospital in New York City, there are no income eligibility requirements. Patients must be in active cancer treatment, live more than 30 miles away from Hope Lodge, stay a minimum of three nights, and have one caregiver stay with them.
Steve and Sara were wait-listed for Hope Lodge, so they first stayed at the Helmsley Medical Towers in Manhattan, which offers a discounted rate to MSK patients. Three days later, Steve got a call from Hope Lodge that there was a room available. They were fortunate — the wait list can vary.
A Home Away From Home
Hope Lodge turned out to be a godsend for Steve and Sara. Not only does it offer free accommodations, but it also provides a community of people going through a similar experience.
Sara was initially hesitant to move in because she wasn’t sure how it would feel living in a shared community. They had a private bedroom and bathroom, but shared the kitchen and pantry area, laundry room, activity rooms, a library, a sweeping outdoor deck, and other well-appointed communal spaces.
The Hope Lodge mosaic features tiles made by patients and caregivers who have called Hope Lodge home during treatment for cancer.
The day after they moved in, she met two women in the kitchen whose husbands had the same diagnosis as Steve. “It was so comforting because they were farther along in their journey and they gave me suggestions and tips on what to expect,” explains Sara. “It was nice to have someone else to talk to.”
According to social worker Uribe, that sense of community is important for many patients and caregivers. “Getting cancer treatment can be very isolating regardless of the social support that you have,” she explains. “People appreciate that Hope Lodge offers an opportunity to connect with other people who really understand through shared experience.”
Hope Lodge also provides quiet workspaces for patients like Steve, who are able to continue working remotely throughout their cancer care, and features comfortable areas for family visits. “Our children wanted to show support but couldn’t spend seven weeks in New York City away from their jobs and families,” says Steve. “So they came down to visit us one weekend, and we had the space at Hope Lodge to sit and talk and connect as a family.”
Another benefit of staying at Hope Lodge is the free shuttle that regularly runs to and from nearby MSK locations, so Steve didn’t have to worry about taking a cab or a subway to his appointments. He and Sara were surprised when they realized that it was easier to be treated at MSK in Manhattan than at a hospital closer to home in Boston, where they would have to drive themselves back and forth every day.
“Hope Lodge is a very compassionate place,” says Steve, who adds that the staff went out of their way to ease the burden of patients and their families. “We are grateful that everyone made us feel so welcome in a scary place far from home.”
Cancer Care Worth the Trip
Now back home and recovering in Newburyport, Steve can’t say enough about the excellent care he received at MSK and the staff who took care of him. “It was a team effort, and we felt that we were at the center of that team,” he says.
He still feels supported by his care team. He was recently on the phone at on a Friday with his medical oncologist, Winston Wong, MD, who was helping him restock his antinausea medication. “I didn’t expect it, but he put in the pharmacy order that very night.”
Steve got to know many of the employees during his time at MSK, from the staff at the front door to the nurses and technicians. “We developed relationships with them and were so impressed with the compassion and kindness they showed,” recalls Steve, who made sure to bring treats and Starbucks gift cards to share with them at Christmas. “Every single person went out of their way to develop a rapport with us. I could high-five the security guys, fist-bump the technicians, and chat with everyone.”
Steve checked in with his care team every week to discuss how he was feeling both physically and emotionally. They addressed issues around nutrition, how to manage side effects like fatigue and nausea, and provided occupational therapy to maintain his throat muscles and ability to swallow.
“They always asked me what questions or concerns we had and armed us with information that helped us understand that what we were going through was normal in terms of treatment,” says Steve. “It was an overwhelming experience, but MSK took the guesswork and the fear away.”