guest family profile
Elaine Tomlin & Sharon Reavis
Story and photos by Ashley Estill House: VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System — Pittsburgh, PA
The Fisher House offered Elaine comforts of home including a spacious kitchen, laundry room, family, living and dining rooms, while also providing her a private bedroom to rejuvenate after a day at the hospital.
Home State: Pennsylvania Military Branch: Air Force
Elaine Tomlin was walking on the track in her hometown of Philadelphia when she called her sister, Air Force veteran Sharon Reavis, like she does every single morning. Sharon was in the hospital for a kidney transplant, and Elaine knew something was wrong when Sharon’s daughter answered the phone.
Elaine Tomlin checks into her new home and visits with Ken Fisher in the kitchen.
“In a matter of an hour the social worker took me to the Fisher House. It happened so fast, this was just incredible,” Elaine said. “It allowed me to be with my sister every day. I just walked through the parking lot and I was at the hospital.” Every day for over a month Elaine was there for her sister as she continued to heal. She didn’t have to worry about anything except for her sister — offering Elaine this “home away from home” lifted the stress and allowed Elaine to focus on family.
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The Patriot • VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 1 • 2013
In addition to having the support of Fisher House, Elaine also felt comfort from the other families staying within the Fisher House walls. “The families would interact with each other in the kitchen before we all went over to the hospital,” Elaine said. “Making breakfast or tea in the morning we’d ask how their loved ones were doing and said a prayer for each other.”
Following Sharon’s kidney transplant, some complications arose which sent Sharon to the ICU and Elaine directly to Pittsburgh. When Elaine arrived, she didn’t know where she would stay. It just so happened that when Elaine got to the hospital, the Foundation was dedicating the new 10-suite Fisher House at the Pittsburgh VA. Overlooking the city of Pittsburgh, the spacious comfort home became Elaine’s new home.
“I just felt so at ease when I got back to the Fisher House after a day at the hospital,” Elaine said. “It was nice to get back into a routine and lay my head down each night on my fluffy pillows.”
“In a matter of an hour the social worker took me to the Fisher House. It happened so fast, this was just incredible.” “Elaine and Sharon are a great example of the families we help,” said Ken Fisher, Chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation. “It’s not enough to thank our veterans for their service. We have to show them how much we appreciate the sacrifices the entire family makes.”
Elaine’s sister eventually became stable enough to transfer to the VA in Philadelphia, allowing her to be close to even more family. She is still receiving dialysis and physical and occupational therapy, but doing much better. Although Elaine moved out of her temporary home in Pittsburgh, she has nothing but wonderful things to say about the Fisher House from the moment she walked through the doors. “When I was at the hospital, you just saw so many families sleeping in the family room and to have this house available was really incredible. It was such a help,” Elaine said. “For Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher to think of something like this, I said, ‘Wow, what great people.’ Everything was just so nice.”