1.,..._. 1 BRIGHAMAND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL

A Home Away From

Home Each year, patients and

their famil ies from across

New England and around

the wor ld trave l to

Boston to receive care from the Internationa l Mesothe lioma

Prog ram (IMP) at Brigham and Women's Hospita l (BWH).

A rare form of lung cancer, mesothelio ma often requires

treatme nts that span the course of days, weeks, and even

months. The Thornton House helps to ease the burdens

of pat ients dur ing this time by prov iding them with a

comfortable and affordable place to stay rig ht across the

street f rom the hospital. It is the only residence of thi s typ e

for IMP patie nts and their fam ilies in the country.

"The Thornton House creates a unique communi ty fo r

our patients that is cruc ial to help ing them through the ir

treatments." says Raphael Bueno, MD, chief of the BWH

Division of Thorac ic Surgery and director of th e IMP.

"Serving as a home away from home , it tru ly provides a

place of ref uge where pat ients can recover and heal wh ile

surrounded by their loved ones and supp orted by our

dedicated staff."

Mesothe lioma is a debilitating lung cancer. affect ing the

lining of the lungs and chest wall. Because it is so rare.

pat ients often experience isolat ion and sadness because

they have never heard of the disease or met another person

with the same diagnos is. Patients and famil.ies who stay

at the Thornton House are given t he oppo rt unity to meet

fellow patients and fam ilies and see they are not alone in

their figh t against mesothe lioma.

"We could not offer such comprehensive care wi thout the Thornton House and its

supportive atmosphere."

RAPHAEL BUENO, MD

Accommodations at the Thornton House

The three -floor Thornton House includes six fully furnished

bedrooms and plenty of storage for guests who stay for

extended periods. Each f loor features a washer and dryer

unit, a full kitchen and bath, as wel l as a half-bath. Bedrooms

are equipped with fresh linens, telev isions, and pr ivate

phones and mai lboxes. The house also featur es central air

conditioning.

In addit ion to housing accommodations, patients and

families staying at the Thorn ton House receive a wide

range of support services. including a house suppo rt

group fac ilitated by BWH staf f . access to social workers.

and chap laincy services. A house manager is on hand 24

hours a day to answer quest ions and help guests make

any necessary arrangeme nts. Infor mation and resources

related to the city of Boston are also provided in an

orientation packet.

About Thornton Law Firm

The Thornton House was purchased and establ ished in

2007 through a generous $1 million gif t f rom Boston­

based Thornton Law Firm LLP, one of New England 's

largest plaintif f personal injury law firm s. Founded by

Michael Thornton in 1978, this distingu ished law fir m has

philanthropical ly suppor ted the IMP and its mission for

mo re than a decade through gif ts to taling mo re than

$10 million . Thornton is also a founding member of the

executive adviso ry boar d of the IMP.

Under Thornto n's leadership, the firm has estab lished an

excellent reputat ion for successfully represent ing clients

injured by harmfu l and tox ic products. This includes workers

injured on the job . individuals treated with defective medical

devices and med icat ions. chi ldren with birth defects caused

by exposure to teratogenic substances, and patient s

suffer ing from mesothelioma. The firm has represented

more than 10.000 asbestos victims. many of whom

contracted mesothe lioma through exposure to asbestos

work ing at their job. It has won cases for a wide variety of

clients rang ing from U.S. Navy repairmen to construc ti on

and factory workers .

IMP .. I\JTERNATIONAL '.v1ES0THEUO!l1A PROGRA/vl

About the International Mesothelioma Program

Founded in 2002, the IMP at BWH

arose from the need to add ress

the rising numb er of mesothel ioma

cases reported wor ldwide. Today it

is a world leader in mesothelioma

treatm ent. research, and patient care. Basic, translat ional,

and clinical researchers wo rk ti relessly to bette r understand

this complic ated disease, and collaborate with doctors

and clinicians at BWH to turn pioneering breakth roughs

into innovative new treatments that improve patien t

outcomes and quality of life. Wi th a supportiv e clinical and

administrative staff, the entire IMP team works toget her

to prov ide care plans personalized for the needs of each

individual.

BRIGHAMAND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL

Development Office 116 Huntington Avenue. Third Floor Boston. Massachusetts 02116

IMP l'.'11 ERN.\TIONAL ?ll LSOTHELIO~l ·\ PROGRAM

To make a gift and help support~the rnissionllof

irhornton House and the International Mesotheliorna

Program, please visit BWHgiving.org/ thornton11or call

tlilme l BWH Gift Processing,...Office at 617-424-4321.

Your gift is taxlldeductibl~e.