When Gail was 6 months pregnant with her son, she was diagnosed with glioblastoma grade 4 brain cancer. Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most complex, deadly, and treatment-resistant cancers. The doctors told Gail she had about a 5% chance of survival after 5 years, but most people pass away before 2 years from diagnosis. 

After receiving such terrible news, she knew she wanted only the best possible treatment, which would be at UAB. The family lived 3 hours from UAB, so driving that route daily for treatment would have been impossible. Thankfully, a UAB social worker referred her to Red Mountain Grace.

For two months, we were able to provide her family of four, including a newborn and 4-year-old daughter, with a fully furnished apartment, while Gail received treatment for brain cancer.

"Red Mountain Grace provided my family with so much more than a place to lay our heads. They decorated a Christmas tree for us and even brought Christmas presents for both of my children. They went over and beyond to make our temporary apartment feel like home."

Red Mountain Grace is the only hospitality housing option in Birmingham that allows small children to stay with their parents. Our mission is to continue being the best option for families like Gail's, allowing families to be together and providing them with community while they are here.

"The day after my deadly diagnosis, the Lord clearly said to me that this cancer would not kill me. Using scripture from Daniel, God told me, 'Daniel got a death sentence too.' And just like He closed the mouths of the lions for Daniel, He protected me from glioblastoma."

Gail is now 5 years and 8 months post-diagnosis and CANCER FREE.

"Only by the mercy of God can I explain defying the odds of a 5% survival rate. My family and I are very thankful for Red Mountain Grace and so many others who supported us during a very tough time in our lives."

Thank you to Gail for sharing her testimony and update.

This week is National Healthcare Hospitality Week, which highlights the importance of healthcare hospitality houses like Red Mountain Grace. The lack of affordable accommodations for patients and caregivers can be a major barrier to accessing necessary medical care.

This is what keeps us up at night.

This is why we exist.

By relieving families of this housing and financial burden, they can focus more on their overall wellness. Patients who stay in healthcare hospitality houses, like our apartments, have a greater chance of achieving better health outcomes. Additionally, having a loved one present can greatly impact a patient's health.*

Our mission as a healthcare hospitality house is to extend gracious hospitality to our guests. We want to provide families with so much more than just affordable accommodations. We want to give them a home away from home and surround them with a supportive community while they are here. We go the extra mile, serving a wide range of health conditions and ages, along with opening our doors to both patients AND caregivers.

We couldn't carry out our mission of gracious hospitality without the generosity of our donors, community partners, and volunteers. Thank you for coming alongside Red Mountain Grace and enabling us to be the best healthcare hospitality housing option for families traveling to Birmingham for unexpected, extended medical stays.

* Healthcare Hospitality Network

A few weeks ago, we were surprised with a visit from the Morrow family. 19-year-old Jordan Morrow is a walking miracle. She and her mom, Janna, stayed with us for 55 nights while Jordan completed an egg retrieval and 30 radiation treatments. 

Janna will tell you that Jordan’s Journey is full of a lot of “But God” moments. Moments and miracles that could not have been possible without God. 

In 2022, Jordan, an EMT student, had just been diagnosed with POTS. When she experienced some new symptoms, they assumed it was a POTS episode. What they didn’t know was that Jordan was experiencing seizures while she slept. An MRI was ordered. 

Her brother, Tray, was deployed at the time, but was granted leave to come home and receive the news that his baby sister had cancer.

But God. 

Jordan was diagnosed with a Grade 3 Anaplastic Astrocytoma. There is no cure for this tumor. 

Once the tumor was discovered, she underwent surgery. She actually had a stroke on the operating table, but her neurosurgeon seemed to think it was a good thing, as it helped cut off blood supply to part of the tumor. 

But God.

The next step would be 30 radiation treatments. Jordan’s case was selected for Proton Therapy.

But God. 

On January 4th, a physician and social worker explained that the radiation and chemo Jordan would undergo would leave her with a huge probability of experiencing infertility. They explained that Jordan could have her eggs harvested and frozen for the future, but it was very expensive. 

They trusted that if this was God’s will, He would supply what they needed. That week, the funds were pledged by the Livestrong Foundation, Heartbeat Foundation, Cancer Freeze, and the Team Maggie Foundation. 

But God. 

All that was left was a place to stay in Birmingham. That’s when Red Mountain Grace called with availability - a fully-furnished apartment for just $10 a night.

But God. 

Jordan is a brain cancer patient, but also an infertility patient. This would disqualify her from housing at other hospitality houses. Other hospitality houses also don’t allow guests to bring food, or even water, into their rooms. When you are nauseous from cancer treatments and can’t even have water to sip on, it makes recovery much more trying. Pair this with shared kitchen (and sometimes bedroom) spaces and very little privacy.

“The one thing I stress to everyone about Red Mountain Grace, is that this apartment is our safe haven. When times are bad, and we don’t get good news, we come here and separate from the world. The walls are like home. If she doesn’t feel good, we don’t have to go to the bedroom and her not be able to bring a drink with her. We spend countless hours at the kitchen table playing cards. It’s our best therapy. And all of that would not be possible without Red Mountain Grace. People cannot clearly understand the effect having this apartment has had on us. It’s so comforting here.”

Jordan completed the egg retrieval, followed by 6 weeks of radiation. She experienced two seizures during her radiation. Despite the valleys, on March 29th, we got to watch as Jordan rang the gong in the Proton Center.

But God. 

They were able to return home as a family. Jordan’s brother was also recently home from deployment!

The Morrow family is so gracious. After being checked out for less than one month, they had already visited us twice to deliver welcome baskets for our families. We have been flooded with thankfulness for the people who have rallied around Jordan’s generosity of giving back to us. 

With their last visit and donation delivery came some good news - there is very minimal evidence of cancer in Jordan’s brain. She will soon begin a year-long chemotherapy treatment plan.

We will continue to follow #JordansJourney and believe with the Morrows for more But God miracles.

After being placed on bed rest in the hospital for severe preeclampsia, Amber Wathen delivered her son, Rowen, at just 30 weeks.

Once Amber was discharged from the hospital, she and her husband, Abe, weren’t sure whether or not they would be able to stay close enough to the hospital to care for their 2 lb. miracle baby. Abe flew Blackhawks for the Army, and the couple lived 3 hours away on a military base. They didn’t know where to go.

Red Mountain Grace was able to step in and provide the Wathen family with an apartment.

“Red Mountain Grace was more of a blessing to our family than they will ever know. We were able to stay close to the hospital and have a home base for us and our 3-year-old son while we adjusted to our new normal.”

While Rowen was in the NICU, they found out that he had a heart condition, Long QT syndrome (LQTS). LQTS is a heart signaling disorder that can cause fast, chaotic heartbeats (arrhythmias).

"It was overwhelming, but we knew who knit him together and formed him perfectly. We knew that God went before us."

Amber is no stranger to LQTS, as she also has the same diagnosis. There was a 50/50 chance of her children inheriting the heart condition

The Wathens now have 4 children, and Rowen is the only one with LQTS. He was quite the miracle at 2 lbs. with a heart condition.

Rowen has grown into a thriving 6-year-old with a laugh that is contagious and an imagination that is a gift.

"He is our miracle boy with a strong heart and a smile you want to stare at forever. God has been with our boy since day one, and we know that He will continue to lead the way."

We are so happy Rowen is doing so well.

In 2022, Red Mountain Grace was able to serve many premature birth and heart families like the Wathens. We served 16 heart transplant recipients and 7 heart surgery families, with 1 heart transplant and 2 heart surgeries being pediatric.

In the heart of Helena, AL, you'll find Bert Davis roasting coffee beans at the Daysol Coffee Lab.

Prior to moving to Birmingham in 2019, the Davis family lived in Denver, CO. Bert worked full-time for Children's Hospital Colorado and started roasting coffee as a hobby. When the family relocated to Birmingham, he wanted to take roasting more seriously.

After Bert got Daysol up and running, he knew he wanted to give back.

"When I started Daysol, I wanted it to be more than just coffee, like how Red Mountain Grace is more than an apartment. I wanted to find organizations that were really helping people. I knew the right fit would come along."

One day, Bert saw Red Mountain Grace on Instagram. Still working for Children's Hospital Colorado, he has a big heart for kids and families facing difficult medical journeys.

"Red Mountain Grace fits my heart for kids and families going through tough medical situations. I'm lucky that my kids haven’t experienced anything like this, but I’ve seen so many that have."

Bert reached out to see if there was a way Daysol could partner with us.

Because of Daysol's generosity, we are able to include a bag of fresh, locally roasted coffee in our guest welcome baskets. Something as simple as being able to go to an apartment and have a hot cup of local coffee shows our families that there are people here who genuinely care about them.

"It’s cool to see how something simple as coffee CAN make an impact on someone who is struggling."

Daysol is growing and gearing up to move their production into a large warehouse. You can still visit the coffee shop, and of course, order online like some of our alumni families.

"I’ll know when I get an order from a RMG family, because most out of state of orders for a while came from RMG families."

Thank you, Bert, for using your unique talent of roasting coffee to provide gracious hospitality to our guests.

"When we were contemplating our new opportunities in retirement, our friend Brad Booth suggested that we should consider being volunteers with Red Mountain Grace. Brad was one of the early members of the RMG board. When he told us about his experience with needing housing during his medical treatment in Houston, we saw that this was a vital need right here in Birmingham.

We believe that Red Mountain Grace fulfills God's greatest commandment to love God and love others. Hospitality is welcoming guests and visitors, along with a genuine way to show love. Jesus says in Matthew 25:40 that whatever we do for the least of people, we do for Him.

We have witnessed countless guests respond to our care, friendship, and love during the most painful and challenging time in their lives. One of the ways we can help them is when we offer to pray with them and for them.

We financially support the work of RMG, and we volunteer to do whatever is needed to welcome, serve, and love our guests. We contact them by telephone or in-person to inquire about their health, let them know we are here to help them, and we pray for them. We also clean apartments to make them fresh, sanitized, and ready for the next guests.

We want RMG to be able to provide more apartments to house even more guests. There are still so many families that need a home away from home. Of course, we always need more volunteers to provide this gracious hospitality!

Our faith has been encouraged by joining with other Christians to serve our Birmingham visitors. Often, our guests tell us how thankful they are for the gift of love through hospitality that RMG has shown."

The support our volunteers provide is priceless. Thank you to each and every individual that has served our guests with gracious hospitality.

If you would like more information on volunteer opportunities with Red Mountain Grace, click here.

Today we recognize World Prematurity Day, raising awareness of premature birth and the sometimes devastating impacts on families. Red Mountain Grace is honored to stand alongside our tiniest guests and their families.

We are happy to share an update on one of our premie guests, CJ.

CJ was delivered at just 23 weeks and 1 day. Sadly, his twin brother, DJ, passed away.

Red Mountain Grace had the privilege of serving his mom, McCayla, and grandmother, Amber, for 199 days. We were in awe of their strength as their cared for CJ, while also grieving the loss of their son and grandson.

After fighting hard for 7 months, CJ was able to discharge from the hospital, and the family headed home!

CJ turned 2 in September! His grandmother updates that he prefers running over walking, and he is always smiling. CJ loves to snuggle, give kisses, and watch Mickey Mouse and Blippi.

He was finally able to start daycare after being quarantined for much of his life.

Despite having a rough time with respiratory viruses lately, he's still the happiest baby!

Continuing in our portrait series, meet Sara and Jay McFarland. Sara and Jay are apartment adopters and volunteers. Jay also served on the RMG Board of Directors. Below, Sara shares their "why" and what she believes sets Red Mountain Grace apart.

"In the summer of 2012, my mom was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. At the time, the University of Washington in Seattle offered the best treatment option for her, so she moved to Seattle for a month and lived in temporary housing for patients receiving cancer treatment.

A few months later, in 2013, our friend, Jason Carroll, shared his vision with us for Red Mountain Grace. Since we knew first-hand the importance of medical housing, we knew we wanted to support this ministry. First, we donated furniture to furnish their first two apartments. We remained supporters, eventually moving to Birmingham where we began serving in person.

When my mom went through her treatment, we had a newborn and two other small children, which made it impossible to be there with her throughout her treatment. Red Mountain Grace's approach to caring for, loving on, and sharing God's love with its guests is why it is such a faithful ministry. The bonus of doing it through a comfortable and private "home away from home" adds an even more significant benefit that genuinely sets it apart from any other organization.

Our hope is that no more family members are sleeping in cars or waiting rooms or worrying about difficult financial decisions. We hope that each family will not be limited by their circumstances and that they are able to care for loved ones AND receive world-class medical care.

Everyone has a gift, and everyone can have a role in impacting RMG guests. The gift of conversation, the gift of attention to detail when cleaning an apartment, the gift of caretaking or thoughtfulness, the gift of strength, the gift of knowing how to repair things in an apartment, the blessing of financial support – everyone can find their fit within the broader ministry of RMG. You don't have to be able to do it all. If we all do our one part, we can truly make a dynamic impact on each guest that enters an RMG apartment."

Red Mountain Grace is an extended family of neighbors who care for so much more than our guests' essential needs. Click the button below to learn how you can use your gifts to impact our guests.

Widespread Grace 2022 was held on Thursday, October 6th at Regions Field. It was a great night of celebration in honor of Red Mountain Grace, as we shared how RMG is providing clean, safe, and affordable housing to families in need. Here are just a few of the highlights:

• So far in 2022, we have had the opportunity to house 101 families traveling to Birmingham for long term medical treatment.

• We have provided over 4,300 nights of housing to our guests in 2022. This has saved our guests over $516,000 in hotel expenses.

While the purpose of Red Mountain Grace is to provide housing for our guests, we are so much more than apartments. We are an organization that walks alongside our guests during their most trying days. We see ourselves as an extended family of neighbors who care for so much more than our guests’ essential needs.

Press play to check out this video recap from the event:

At Widespread Grace, we shared that our goal was to raise $100,000 to support the ongoing efforts of our organization. So far, we have raised over $85,000!

With your help, we can meet our goal and continue to provide Gracious Hospitality to our guests! Click below to make a meaningful gift to support gracious hospitality.

After serving their country for decades, RMG has the honor of serving the Flinns. Mike and Elizabeth are both Army veterans.

Mike served in the army for 28 years as a helicopter and fixed wing pilot. He flew helicopters, King Airs, and Cessna Citations. In 2008, Mike retired from the military and started to work and fly as a contractor in Afghanistan and Africa on ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) missions.

Elizabeth was one of the first females to fly army helicopters. In 1981, she started flight school at 19 years old. After her 5 year commitment for flight training, she transitioned to being a civilian flight instructor for the Army’s initial entry rotary wing program, where she served for 22 years. In 2009 Elizabeth, joined Mike working in Afghanistan and Africa.

Mike has been a life-long runner. In 2011, at 56 years old, Mike decided he wanted to participate in a full, Ironman Triathlon, which includes a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run. He was hooked. Mike completed an Ironman Triathlon each a year until he contracted COVID in January 2021.

COVID hit Mike hard, and he had to go on a ventilator. It took 5 months for him to get off the ventilator, which resulted in scarred lungs that required him to be on 6 liters of oxygen, 24 hours a day.

In July of 2022, Mike was accepted into the lung transplant program at UAB. He received a double lung transplant on October 2nd. After his release from the hospital, his recovery requires a 90-day stay in the UAB area.

The Flinns share that they were fortunate enough to be connected with Red Mountain Grace. "RMG provided a fantastic apartment for us to reside in during Mike’s recovery. We feel so blessed and grateful for this gift!"

Mike’s recovery is slow and will take time, but they are very hopeful he will have a successful recovery!

Thank you both for your service to our country. We are honored to serve you and our other veteran guests.

In December of 2020, Lydia Nolen found a lump.

She scheduled a mammogram and ultrasound. Nothing concerning was found. Possibly mastitis, but Lydia’s doctor wanted to be sure. She was referred to a surgeon.

When Lydia saw the surgeon, there was nothing there. The lump was gone. However, the surgeon noticed something else on Lydia’s skin.

On January 5, 2021, Lydia was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC).

IBC is very aggressive and rare, accounting for only 1-5% of all breast cancers. It grows and spreads quickly. It’s likely to have spread before it is found. IBC doesn’t often cause lumps, and it might not show up on a mammogram.

Lydia will tell you that God showed her that lump. If it weren’t for that lump, Lydia never would have visited the doctor, Lydia’s doctor wouldn’t have have sent her to the surgeon, and the surgeon wouldn’t have discovered her nearly Stage 4 IBC.

Lydia knew she wanted the best care possible, which was in Birmingham, a haul from her town of Florence, AL. Lydia’s doctor in Florence helped her get an appointment at the Kirklin Clinic. Under the direction of UAB, she took chemo near home. She also had a double mastectomy.

When it came to radiation, she wanted to be at UAB. In September of 2021, she went to see Dr. Boggs in UAB Radiation Oncology. Dr. Boggs prayed with Lydia, and then he started her radiation treatment plan.

Treatment was aggressive and would require her to stay close to UAB. No one is ever prepared for a life-altering medical diagnosis. Lydia’s husband would need to stay in Florence for work and to tend to their farm.

They had to move fast to find Lydia a place to stay for her 6-weeks of radiation. The day before they were ready to book her stay at a hotel, which was going to cost $100 a night, they got the call from Red Mountain Grace. An apartment opened up.

“It made such a difference. It gave me a home setting. I could leave my stuff. I had a kitchen. I had a little home spot. It was such a blessing.”

Lydia settled into her apartment. She kept busy by making beautiful art and ornaments for her church’s upcoming Christmas bazaar. She looked forward to visits from her daughters, who were able to have space when they visited. Our staff and junior board members joined her to celebrate her daughter’s engagement. She kept fighting her battle against breast cancer.

On October 19, 2021, Lydia Nolen rang the bell and checked out of her Red Mountain Grace apartment. She beat it.

Over the past year, Lydia has celebrated so much - one daughter’s wedding, the birth of her first grandbaby, and a year since she finished cancer treatment.

It’s well known that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 1 in 8 women are going to develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. We all know someone who has endured a battle with breast cancer. Lydia was blessed to have a strong group of friends, many of whom had battled breast cancer, to support her during her battle. Now, she can support others in their fight:

“It’s not a death sentence anymore. Don’t give up hope. I was stage 3C, very close to stage 4. I am doing fine now. It was not a fun experience, but it was doable. I think attitude has a lot to do with it - and support. I have several friends who have been through this. They were awesome.”

When Lydia headed home, she gifted RMG with some of her art pieces and angel ornaments. Her beautiful art has served as a sweet reminder for why we continue on in our mission of gracious hospitality for guests like Lydia.

“It was so comforting to have a place that felt more like a home and also to have people in RMG that checked on me. I knew I could call on when I needed anything.”

Happy One Year Post-Treatment, Lydia!

At the beginning of 2021, Chad Norton was admitted to UAB with COVID and placed on ECMO and a ventilator. He and his wife, Angie, were far from their home of Huntsville, AL. Red Mountain Grace contacted Angie to assist with their stay.

“This was such a blessing, as my hospital stay was over 60 days. I was not given much chance at survival, considering my diagnosis. Through prayer, my life was spared, and I have recovered to the point of being of being able to return to work. My family and my faith in God have been restored through this whole process. Dozens of doctors have stated that my recovery was a miracle. Red Mountain Grace gave my family a place to stay through this terrible ordeal and allowed us to save thousands of dollars. Words cannot express my gratitude.” - Chad Norton

In September, we honor NICU families and the health professionals who care for them. We are thankful for each and every NICU family we have been able to support during their stay in Birmingham.

One of the families we've been blessed to serve is the Deason family. Olivia Grace was born three months premature on July 27, 2021. O.G. weighed just one pound, one ounce at birth.

Her parents, Ashley and Jason, spent months with her in the NICU as O.G. battled issues beyond the typical preemie. She had countless specialists on her case. Her biggest hurdles have been oxygen requirements, chronic lung disease, and digestive issues.

Today, Olivia Grace continues to be a brave and patient fighter. She has spent all of her life on a feeding tube, along with oxygen at night (which she is hoping to kick very soon).

While her days are filled with OT, PT, and speech appointments, she is happy as can be. Olivia Grace now weighs 18 pounds. She loves to smile and stick her tongue out. She babbles and talks all day long.

We are so inspired by the Deason's journey, and we can't wait to hear from the family at Widespread Grace 2022.

Over the past 9 years, Birmingham has come alongside Red Mountain Grace to build a community of volunteers, partners, and donors. This community has served over 900 families facing their most trying seasons. We are so thankful for the individuals and organizations that have provided neighborly support for our out-of-town guests. As we celebrate our 9th anniversary, we would like to share a special story of community insight from our Executive Director, Austin Hardison.

“In February 2021, just a few months shy of my first anniversary with Red Mountain Grace, my wife gave birth to our daughter. Nine days after her arrival, my wife had a severe postpartum hemorrhage, during which she lost over three liters of blood.

For the previous ten months as the Executive Director, I had the fortune to play a part in Red Mountain Grace’s model of gracious hospitality; but suddenly, in a life-altering medical emergency, the role was reversed. It was during this season where I truly discovered how crucial of a pillar community is in our lives; more specifically, how crucial community is for the guests of Red Mountain Grace.

While my wife was in the hospital, my family and friends jumped into action. They took our two-year-old son to school. They gathered donated breast milk and nursed our newborn. Some people even did our laundry and brought us meals for a month. Because of the service and action of our community, I was able to focus on my wife’s recovery.

No one checks into a Red Mountain Grace apartment without having first experienced a life-altering diagnosis. Our guests come to us discouraged, away from home, and without their immediate support system. The difference between my family’s experience and that of a Red Mountain Grace guest is that we could receive the emergency medical care we needed only seven minutes from our home. We didn’t have to uproot our lives and leave our community. My experience during that season of medical need would have looked a lot different without my support system.

I now know firsthand how small acts of generosity and neighborly love bring incredible comfort and peace. I have a more profound empathy for our guests, and I am forever more passionate about how Red Mountain Grace rallies together to become a community for strangers enduring some of their most uncertain and trying days.”