The Tipton Family – Halo House’s 200th Guest Family!

Julie & Devonn Tipton were your average, all-American family in Grenada, Mississippi, when Julie found out she had Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2015. A wife, and mother of three children, Julie is also a nursing instructor, did part-time work at a hospital in labor and delivery, and she and her husband were youth leaders at their church.

After a scan revealed a suspicious growth that was diagnosed as cancer, Julie immediately began six cycles of chemotherapy at a treatment center near home. Unfortunately, the local treatment failed and her symptoms returned within a few weeks.

Through friends, Julie was able to contact Dr. Loretta Nastoupil with MD Anderson Cancer Center who agreed to take on her care. After being released from the hospital, she and her husband left immediately for MD Anderson and ended up living in Houston for a month. They were then put on a schedule where they drove to Houston every week, staying for a few days each time, for a total of eight trips. They learned about Halo House when Co-founder and President Dr. Nathan Fowler was on-call for Dr. Nastoupil at the hospital, and he suggested Julie apply for housing at Halo House.

Julie moved into Halo House this summer, with her husband and mother alternating as caregivers. Julie says that Halo House has been, “… a home away from home. It’s not staying in a hotel room … It’s a place of your own here in Houston and it gives you more comfort.”

She goes on to say that to her Halo House has meant, “Stability. Knowing I have somewhere to stay” and that Halo House, “is an incredible foundation, helping families be able to get treatment far away from home.”

Halo House is excited to announce that Julie and Devonn Tipton are our 200th guest family! Since opening the doors to our first two apartments in 2011, Halo House has provided over 13,000 days of housing.