For more than 100 days, Julie Vincent and her husband, David, were guests of Rosenbaum Family House as their late daughter, Emily, battled a mysterious lung infection at nearby WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital.
“I couldn’t have afforded to stay in a hotel 102 days, so it’s been a godsend that I’ve been able to stay here, be near her,” said Vincent, who was previously unfamiliar with the facility.
Rosenbaum Family House has served as a home away from home for WVU Medicine patients and their families for 25 years. Since it opened in July 1999, the facility has provided a convenient, affordable place to stay for more than 22,000 families in need.
“Rosenbaum Family House benefits West Virginia by providing a resource for folks who have to travel from many of the rural areas around the state so that they can maintain their health and access the treatment that they need,” Dana Schutte, director of Rosenbaum Family House, said. “WVU Medicine has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 10 years. That growth doesn’t do anybody any good if you can’t get to treatment. So, we provide that for folks. We bridge the gap between the treatment they need and the place they need to stay while they’re away from their home.”
Rosenbaum Family House is named for its founder, Morgantown businesswoman Hilda Rosenbaum, who recognized the need for affordable accommodations as she traveled the country seeking care for her young daughter, Nancy, more than 40 years ago. Her vision and generosity enabled WVU Medicine to establish the facility and expand to its current 40-room site 10 years ago.
Prospective guests of Rosenbaum Family House must be at least 18 years old and live 50 miles or more from Morgantown. Patients and their families are referred by their WVU Medicine care team and placed on a waitlist managed by Rosenbaum Family House staff.
The average stay at Rosenbaum Family House is six-to-seven days. Each day, its staff reviews the waitlist to ensure any available rooms go to the families with the greatest need.
The nightly rate is $30, but Rosenbaum Family House offers more than a place to sleep. Guests also have access to a fully stocked kitchen, prepared dinners, computers, laundry facilities, and other amenities.
Julie Vincent
Vincent, of Paden City, said she appreciated the kindness and compassion of the Rosenbaum Family House staffers who helped meet her family’s needs from the first day they arrived in Morgantown.
“Everything is set up here like you’re home,” Vincent said. “You have your meals. You have a laundry facility. And you do become very close with the people that you mingle with in the dining room. We all are in our own little storms, some bigger than the other. But we all share that in common that we are going through storms, and we can relate to each other.”
Schutte said philanthropic support drives every resource available to Vincent and other guests at Rosenbaum Family House.
“Financial gifts to Rosenbaum Family House are spent to directly help every guest who stays here,” Schutte said. “There aren’t overhead costs we use that aren’t directly related to the folks that we serve. Our Care and Comfort Fund helps offset the cost for folks who can’t pay for a stay. We have a meal program that requires that we keep our pantry filled. All those dollars are used to offset those costs. So, it directly impacts the people who stay here at Rosenbaum Family House.”
Emily Vincent spent time at Wetzel County Hospital and Camden Clark Medical Center before coming to Ruby Memorial for treatment. She struggled with high anxiety and other health challenges, so having her mother by her side was beneficial as WVU Medicine providers tried to save her life. She passed away Aug. 5 at the age of 36.
It was especially meaningful to Julie to be close to her daughter in her final days. She said there are no words to accurately express her gratitude for the donors who made her stay possible.
“Thank you, because you do allow so many people to be close to their loved ones whether they’re at Ruby or if they’re here getting treatments,” Vincent said. “It allows them to have a safe place to be. More people need to donate. You can’t ever outgive God, and they are giving to God in a roundabout way by taking care of his people, the ones that are here. You can’t give enough.”
To make a gift to Rosenbaum Family House, visit give.wvu.edu/FamilyHouse.
All donations are made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University and its affiliated entities.