This Is Iowa: The Jesse J Sanctuary is a place of peace for those dealing with cancer
A tranquil stroll through nature is something Michele Bolton and her fiancé Gary treasure.
And in their case, a breath of fresh air is just what the doctor ordered.
"Initially, they said six to 18 months," Bolton said.
Living with stage 4 lung cancer means time is running out on their walks through the Warren County field.
But the wide open landscape is where they find peace.
It's the same land where Beth Johnston's daughter Jesse found her strength too.
Diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2019, Jesse moved in with her husband's family and originally planned to live in the house they were building next to her in-laws.
But Jesse never saw her dream home.
"It was December when she passed and I think just the foundation was done at that time," Beth Johnston said.
The house was left unfinished.
Jesse's husband no longer had the desire to move their family into the home that was supposed to be theirs.
"There was nothing she couldn't tackle. Except cancer," Beth Johnston said.
Jesse's in-laws, Rick and Minoo Spellerberg, cry those same tears.
A painful hole left on their acreage cemented in grief.
"They poured the foundation...then nothing happened," Minoo Spellerberg said. "At one point, we talked about burying the foundation and putting flowers on it."
But the Spellerbergs built the house anyways. And when the walls went up, hope blossomed again. Providing new strength for new life, in Jesse's name.
"If this place in any way can help anybody in the tiniest little way, we're all in," Minoo Spellerberg said.
The Jesse J Sanctuary was finally complete.
Minoo and Rick took the home that would have housed their son, daughter-in-law and grandsons and are offering it to other families also battling cancer.
"They can come down here for a few days, have friends, family members, enjoy the scenery and nature, and you know, gain strength from it," Rick Spellerberg said."I can't think of a better way, I mean, everything that goes on here kinda screams this is Jesse. This is what she would have loved, if she was still alive, this is what she would have loved to be a part of."
Minoo, Rick, and Beth won't accept a penny. Creating new memories in a house is all the payment they need.
That, and the hope that it may help others through the difficult time they endured.
"We really feel like there's a niche for people to do this. And what a great spot," Beth Johnston said.
Jesse's soul is never far. Reaching her arms across the fields and smothering those like Michele Bolton and Gary Stubblefield with support.
"It's a place to just kind of relax and just kind of forget about things for a few days. All the responsibilities that I have around the house, and my job, and just concentrate on Michele," Gary Stubblefield said.
Those little walks along the trails offer the much-needed respite for those whose journey is closer to the end than it is the beginning.
Inspired by the beauty, touched by the generosity.
Michele and Gary say they won't soon forget the support from Rick, Minoo and Beth.
And no one who stays at the sanctuary will forget Jesse J.
"She would've loved it," Beth Johnston said.
