Robi On The Road: Cancer Patients' Home Away From Home

JAMAICA PLAIN (CBS) - It's known as a "home away from home" for cancer patients.

One guest called it a "Ronald McDonald house for adults."

The American Cancer Society's AstraZeneca Hope Lodge Center on South Huntington Avenue is near Boston's finest hospitals.

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Cancer patients from all over the country, and all over the world, can stay here for free while receiving treatment.

They are also provided free shuttle service to and from the hospital.

Bill Merchant, a prostate cancer patient from Hawaii, was a guest at Hope Lodge for three months while being treated at Massachusetts General Hospital. He told WBZ-TV it would have cost him thousands of dollars if he had to stay in hotels.

Many of the guests said the best part of Hope Lodge is sharing their experiences and receiving support from others going through similar health challenges.

Instead of having to commute almost three hours every day from Connecticut, Tosha Gordon, a mother of three who is battling breast cancer, said she can focus on getting better, rather than on logistics.

"It gives you peace of mind and lets you really concentrate on healing and getting through treatments," she said.

"This is the only hotel I've ever visited where they don't want your repeat business! They don't want you coming back," Merchant told WBZ, laughing.

For more information about Hope Lodge, visit their website.