Family Appreciates the Proximity of the Guest House to the Hospital 

Joe Baker is effusive in his praise for Gorecki Guest House (GGH) and its welcoming atmosphere. He, his four siblings, and mom used two rooms over eight days in June 2025.

"Our family is grateful we were able to stay at the guest house. Being right across the street from the hospital was so convenient. We didn't have to get in a car and be farther from our dad," says Joe, son of Jerry and Edna Baker. "It was easy to go back and forth. We could sleep, nap or shower without being away from Dad too long."

Jerry, 90, suffered a stroke on June 8 at his lake home in Aitkin. "I had been fishing in Canada and came home two days early. Within 10 minutes of arriving, Dad's stroke hit like a brick. Fortunately, first responders were nearby and we got him to Aitkin, where he was airlifted to St. Cloud Hospital."

The next eight days were touch and go. The stroke's effects were severe and Jerry opted for Hospice services.

"Dad was really weak and sleep-deprived but just wanted to go home," Joe explains. On June 16, he was discharged with Hospice care.

By mid-July, Jerry defied the odds, graduating from Hospice into a robust rehab program. His speech improved. He's walking, climbing stairs, and even mowing his own grass again!

Looking back, Joe reflects on their time in St. Cloud and at GGH.