“To have to feel like the world is ending and have somebody with you who is going through the same thing makes you go to bed at night thinking you’re not alone.”

“The natural thing is to be by yourself. To hole up and cry. But JoeAnna’s House doesn’t let you do that. The design forces you to come downstairs and say hello.” It was in this shared space that Val met LuAnn, and unexpected lifeline and true friend who would help her through those difficult months. Like most conversations at the house, it started with a simple hello in the morning and grew from there.

LuAnn and Val quickly fell into a comforting routine – morning coffee, walking side-by-side to the hospital, and sitting together at day’s end to talk through everything that happened. “It was her strength that gave me strength,” Val says. “I’ll be forever grateful to her for pushing me where I’ve never been pushed before in my life.”

After her brother was rushed from the Fernie area to KGH with a severe case of Influenza that put him in the ICU, LuAnn had travelled from Ontario to be by his side. The two became fast friends, their guards completely down in shared grief. From simple hellos over coffee to sharing laughter and sarcastic remarks, they connected deeply over their similarities and the challenges they faced.

Despite finding each other in less-than-ideal circumstances, Val and LuAnn still talk on a regular basis and are planning trips together now that LuAnn has returned home. “It was like I’d known her forever. I will be forever grateful for her.”

The magic of JoeAnna’s House is in bringing people together and offering comfort to caregivers during their toughest moments. It’s also where unexpected friendships often blossom in the time between. More than just temporary accommodation, JoeAnna’s House is a place where healing starts and lasting connections are formed.