Home for the Holidays

This holiday season, some might be forced to spend time away from home while they or their loved ones receive treatment at UNC Hospitals.

That’s when the State Employees’ Credit Union Family House provides a refuge for families like Robert McRae’s.

The Family House provides a place for out-of-towners to stay when recovering or when someone in their family is hospitalized.

“It’s a home away from home,” said McRae, who lives near Fayetteville.

A massive Thanksgiving feast, which included four 24-pound turkeys, two 12-pound hams and bottles of sparkling cider, was one way the house made the more than 100 guests and volunteers feel welcome.

When McRae’s daughter came to town for the holiday, she thought K&W Cafeteria would be a good place to eat dinner.

“I said, ‘We can’t go to K&W because they are cooking here,’” McRae said.

McRae’s wife, Clara, transferred from Fort Bragg’s hospital to UNC’s the first week of October. She’s recovering from the repercussions of H1N1, which included kidney failure, lung scarring and a medically induced coma.

During the transfer, she lost oxygen to her brain for 30 minutes. Doctors and family members worried her brain was damaged.

But on Thanksgiving Day, after her husband asked if she knew who she was, she responded for the first time with a nod.

“When she saw her mother, she gave a little grin,” he said.

The house on Old Mason Farm Road, which is filled with evergreen trees and wreaths, will continue to celebrate the holidays with a surprise visit from Santa, community volunteers performing in the evenings and another Christmas dinner feast.

This year more than 1,160 guests stayed at the house from across North Carolina, 19 other states and three foreign countries.

It costs about $56 to operate a room each night, but guests pay between $5 and $35 per room each night depending on their financial situation. The average guest contribution is $25 a night.

There is no limit to how long a person can stay at the house, and one current guest has stayed there since January.

“That way it’s a service for all families, not just those who can afford it,” Executive Director Greg Kirkpatrick said.

The 34,000 square-foot house has 40 rooms, and sometimes there is a waitlist.

“It’s a nice place for people to stay, but it’s also a supportive and encouraging environment for people to get together,” said Janet Hudgens, marketing and volunteer coordinator.

Sometimes when McRae comes into the house after visiting his wife at the hospital, he’ll strike up a conversation with anyone in one of the common areas, he said.

“Being in an environment here where you can talk about it and release is one of the best things,” McRae said.

One past house guest still calls McRae everyday and asks about his wife, he said.

“They become each other’s best support system,” Kirkpatrick said. “They provide each other emotional support in the hardest situations they’ve ever gone through.”



Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.