Mesa Home Donated For Cancer Patients To Use During Long-Term Treatments

Christopher Todd Communities At Ellsworth donates Mesa Home rent-free for a year to Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center

Mesa, Ariz. (April 13, 2022) – A special residence, located at Christopher Todd Communities At Ellsworth in Mesa, was filled with volunteers readying the property for special guests arriving later in the week: a man undergoing cancer treatments and his wife, who’ve been living in an RV for years. The home was donated rent-free to Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center to help house cancer patients who travel from outside the Valley to receive outpatient care, especially those whose protocols require weeks of daily therapy, those participating in clinical trials, and those recovering from stem-cell transplants. Insurance does not cover hotels for patients and care partners who must stay within a 15-minute drive of Banner MD Anderson, creating a significant financial barrier to receiving the treatments they need.

Jess Conant, also known as Jac, and Carol Perry formerly of Mesa, have been touring the country during their retirement years, enjoying great American adventures. That is until Jac’s cancer diagnosis earlier this year when they were living in Oregon. They selected Banner MD Anderson in Gilbert for care because of its excellent reputation and Jac and Carol’s Mesa roots. But living in a small RV while undergoing extensive outpatient treatment was going to be a challenge and paying for a hotel room for an extended period of time was problematic.

The Banner Health Foundation launched the Home Away From Home campaign in 2019 to build an endowment that, year after year, can help offset the cost of temporary housing for cancer patients—just one way to help reduce patient stress and anxiety during an already challenging time in their life. Social workers and patient navigators work with partner hotels and motels to secure discounted rates, and financial assistance is awarded to qualifying patients.

Christopher Todd Communities Built By Taylor Morrison learned of the Home Away From Home program and knew they could help, especially since their newest community just opened in Mesa near the Cancer Center.

“Both Taylor Morrison and Christopher Todd Communities have strong philanthropic company cultures. Aligning with Banner MD Anderson to provide a temporary home away from home for cancer patients was synergistic and we are honored we can help,” said Todd Wood, CEO of Christopher Todd Communities.

Taylor Morrison, the builder of Christopher Todd Communities At Ellsworth, donated a two-bedroom home, rent-free for a year and Christopher Todd Communities provided financial support to Banner Health Foundation to help furnish the home. Many other companies and individuals contributed to provide everything one would need to feel at home, including Lexi Grace Design, Bob’s Discount Furniture, Bed DRS, Debbie Gaby Charities, and many others.

“It’s perfect. It’s a blessing. It’s a miracle,” said Jess Conant upon seeing the home for the first time this week.

“On behalf of everyone at Banner MD Anderson and all of our patients, we are so grateful for these generous donations to serve our patients and care partners in need,” says Dr. Rogerio Lilenbaum, senior physician executive for Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center. “A safe, comfortable place to lay your head at night is so important on the cancer journey, and this furnished home will provide the next-best thing to being in one’s own bed. We are thrilled to be able to offer this option to patients who need to stay close by for their own safety and treatment protocols.”

“We all know someone who has been impacted by cancer and are humbled to provide respite to patients on a path to wellness,” said Taylor Morrison Build-To-Rent national president Darin Rowe.

Christopher Todd Communities At Ellsworth, 250 N. Ellsworth Road in Mesa is a 144-home luxury gated rental community comprised of single-story rental smart homes with private backyards and pet doors. It also features a resort-style pool, fitness studio, and serenity garden that will enhance the healing journey. The community welcomed its first residents April 1 and is more than 40 percent leased.

About Banner Health Foundation
Established in 2001, the Banner Health Foundation engages the community and stewards charitable contributions to advance Banner Health’s nonprofit mission of making health care easier so life can be better. Contributions are invested locally to support patient care programs and services operated by Banner’s many hospitals and health care facilities across Arizona. For more information, visit www.bannerhealthfoundation.org.

About Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center
Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center delivers cancer care to patients through the partnership of Banner Health and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Banner MD Anderson offers focused disease-specific expertise in the medical, radiation and surgical management of the cancer patient; an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach to patient care; access to clinical trials and new investigative therapies; state-of-the-art technology for the diagnosis, staging and treatment of all types of cancer; oncology expertise in supportive care services. For more information, visit www.BannerMDAnderson.com.

About Taylor Morrison
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Taylor Morrison is the nation’s fifth largest homebuilder and developer. We serve a wide array of consumers from coast to coast, including first-time, move-up, luxury and 55-plus active lifestyle homebuyers under our family of brands—including Taylor Morrison, Esplanade, Darling Homes Collection by Taylor Morrison, and Christopher Todd Communities Built By Taylor Morrison. From 2016-2022, Taylor Morrison has been recognized as America’s Most Trusted® Builder by Lifestory Research. Our strong commitment to sustainability, our communities and our team is highlighted in our latest annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report. For more information about Taylor Morrison, please visit www.taylormorrison.com.

About Christopher Todd Communities
Christopher Todd Communities is the leader in Build-To-Rent communities, specializing in Single-Story Rental Communities (SRC) which are amenitized, gated, planned communities designed specifically for renters. The company has a proprietary playbook for their branded, technology-forward, luxury single-story rental homes with private backyards and doggy doors in professionally managed, smart-gated communities, resulting in faster lease ups, high retention, optimized rent rates and dynamic investor returns. Christopher Todd Communities is an “asset maximizing” company, creating enhanced value though the branded community and lifestyle experience. Learn more at www.ChristopherTodd.com.

Banner Health:
Corey Schubert, 321-501-2850, media@bannerhealth.com

Christopher Todd Communities
Martha Moyer Wagoner, 602-861-8006, mwagoner@christophertodd.com

Taylor Morrison
Alice Giedraitis, 480-840-8137, agiedraitis@taylormorrison.com