Debora Sponsel-Jolley

2006 Finalist – Economic Category
Age: 48
Hometown: Albuquerque, NM

After being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and recovering with the mere help of generous strangers, Debora Sponsel-Jolley realized there are few affordable accommodations for patients who have to travel when facing a medical crisis, especially those receiving treatment for cancer. To help serve her community in Albuquerque, N.M., she established Holland’s Rose Cancer Hospitality House where around-the-clock services are provided for guests undergoing cancer treatment. She has also created the Bob Enlow Fund and Project HOPE (Helping Oncology Patients Economically) to defray the costs of residence during treatment and to help patients when they return back home in rural communities. Since its inception in 2001, Holland’s Rose continues to grow annually, with current occupancy rates at 100 percent and plans to build a second house in 2007.