Nobody had a better reason to celebrate the opening of Terry's House than Yvonne Frear. She didn't know it, but it would be her home for the next eight months.

The two story house built exclusively by Community donor-investors for families – far from home – to be near their critically ill or injured loved ones, would become her respite during her husband's long recovery.

Just days before, Frear had been in her hometown of Spring, Texas, when she’d received a call from the California Highway Patrol that her husband had been in a terrible accident on the “grapevine” and flown to Community Regional Medical Center – the Valley’s only Level 1 trauma center.

Philip, a truck driver not only had traumatic injuries, but was burned as well.

“Terry’s House was indeed a godsend. My mother-in-law and I were the very first residents. I remember feeling as if I could breathe uninterrupted breaths once I walked into the facility and into our suite,” Frear said. “The location was perfect as it was as far as I could be away from Philip, and yet, as close as I could be to Philip.”

Just a few weeks ago, more than nine months after the accident, Philip was well enough to move to a rehabilitation facility in Texas near their home.

Mary Lisa Russell reported this story. She can be reached at MedWatchToday@CommunityMedical.org.