Tripler home assists families in hospital's care
By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer
There was the 6-year-old boy diagnosed with cancer who was air-evacuated with his father from a U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, Japan.
John Ost, Fisher House
The 40-year-old woman from American Samoa whose unborn baby had an irregular heartbeat.
The Fisher House at Tripler Army Medical Center can now house seven families. Construction began this month on a building that will house eight more families. Fisher Houses provide temporary homes for military families during medical crises.
And the 77-year-old woman living in Guam, diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer, who arrived for chemotherapy and radiation.
All came for treatment at Tripler Army Medical Center, and all benefited from the generosity of Fisher House.
The Tripler Fisher House serves as a "home away from home" for military families receiving care at the hospital, offering seven rooms with a bathroom, television and VCR as a low-cost (rooms are $10 a night) and low-stress alternative to a hotel in Waikiki.
So far this year, 46 families have stayed at Fisher house, each for an average of 48 days, said House Manager John Ost.
"Everyone becomes a big family," Ost said. "The emotional support they gain while here really helps them through whatever they are going through."
The furnished homes, with common kitchens, living and dining rooms, are donated by the late Zachary Fisher, a New York philanthropist, and his wife, Elizabeth. Through the Fisher House Foundation, the houses are provided to military medical facilities around the world.
The homes are open to U.S. military families who live off-island. Ost said most come from Guam, Samoa, the Philippines, Japan, Okinawa and Korea.
The program has been so popular that construction recently began on a second Fisher House behind Tripler to cut down on the usual two- to four-week waiting list that exists for a room. Last year, 75 families had to seek somewhere else to stay.
Ost said the homes operate without any government financing, and the $10 fee covers 25 percent of the $100,000 cost to run the house each year.
As a result, the Tripler Fisher House is seeking donations, contributions of household items, and volunteers. The new house is expected to be completed by mid-February.
"We are very fortunate we have such a large area that contributes to the operation of Fisher House, but it's one of those things where you always need a little bit more," said Ost, who will be the house's sole employee for day-to-day operations after Sept. 12.
"That's why volunteers are so important," he added. "We have volunteers who take people shopping, take them to the commissary or grocery store, or take them on a drive around the island, just so they can get out of the house."
Ost is asking for donations of newer model computers so families staying at the house can e-mail loved ones back home.
Household items such as dishwashing soap, cleansers, light bulbs and computer supplies also are being sought, along with room items like 15 hair dryers, 15 double- or queen-sized mattresses, and a similar number of digital alarm clocks. To make a donation or get more information, call 433-1291, ext. 28.
