Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Johnson-White.
Hi Monica, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
In 2004, I was six months pregnant and had a two-year-old son when my husband got burned in our yard. A gas can exploded causing him to be rushed to the ER and later transported by helicopter to a burn unit in Greenville, MS. A location that was about two hours away from where we lived. At the time of the incident, I did not realize the devastation of his burns because I had only seen a small spot under his right arm, despite the fact that he proclaimed to be “burning from the inside.” On the following day, I drove the two-hour route and went to visit my husband in the burn unit. Much to my surprise, he had suffered first, second-and third-degree burns, and his lungs were scorched. He was wrapped like a mummy with only his eyes, nose, and mouth uncovered. I quickly realized the extent of the situation and refused the leave the city until he was able to return home with me and his son. Well, that day never came. However, while I watched my husband fight for his life and ultimately lose, I was blessed enough to live in a little place called Lighthouse Lodge. This place was a motel-like establishment for the families of burn patients. Me and my son remained there for the next twenty-eight days until my husband took his very last breath. The kindness and generosity that we were shown at the Lighthouse Lodge has always resonated in my heart.
Fast forward seventeen years… I am now a remarried with three amazing children and have served as a Director of Nursing for the past seven years. Durning the Covid pandemic, I watched so many elderly hearts be broken by missing their families and friends. Long-term care facilities were doing all they could to make the residents’ hearts lighter, but it was apparent that missing their loved ones was taking a toll, especially those with dementia. It was in that moment that I had a burning desire to do more. I knew that if I had a smaller facility setting, I could offer more comfort, more care, and more love. In October of 2021, with the help of a friend, I got the courage to open up my own place. It was only fitting to name it the Lighthouse Lodge after a place that had offered so much for me when I was in a desolate place in life. Well, needless to say, the Lighthouse Lodge Residential Care was opened and have been offering quality to life ever since.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest obstacle was simply getting started. The road was not as rough as I had imagined. It has been pretty smooth. Fear of the unknown was the only thing standing in my way.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Registered Nurse and owner of the Lighthouse Lodge Residential Care Home in North Fort Worth. We serve clients with cognitive and/or physical disabilities, primarily those with dementia or needing hospice care. We offer a comfortable and safe home-like environment to those clients requiring more one-to-one attention. I am most proud when I get testimonials from families that say their loved ones are thriving at our care home versus merely existing.
What sets me apart from others is that I serve with a spirit of love and humility and expect no less from the caregivers that serve with me.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
After serving others all day, I get the opportunity to go home and be restored by the love of my husband and three children. That is the best definition of what success looks like for me.
Pricing:
- $3000 for a shared room
- $5000 for a private room
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lighthouse-lodge-residential-care.business.site/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LighthouseLodgeResidentalCare
