Community, Housing Helped Ranch Hand Through Cancer Care

Gift of Life was “so much more than a bed to sleep in” for Keith Baker, a White Sulphur Springs ranch hand.

“Gift of Life meant the world to him, to have a roof over his head and a comfy bed and remarkable staff going above and beyond for him,” said his sister, Marie Kraft. “They became like family to him.”

The hour-and-a-half drive to Sletten Cancer Institute over Kings Hill Pass became increasingly difficult as his disease progressed. Keith, 58, was making do with Social Security, and even the cheapest hotel rooms were out of reach.

“I don’t think he would have done treatment as long as he did without Gift of Life,” Marie said. “Gift of Life was good to him, and it was good for us in his family to alleviate that stress of, ‘Where is Keith?’”

Because of donors, Gift of Life has been able to provide more than 11,285 nights of free lodging for more than 4,867 people in the past 32 years.

In 2024 amid a remodeling project, 129 patients used Gift of Life. The longest patient stay was 88 days, and the patient who traveled the farthest came 376 miles from Sidney, Montana.

Marie said the caring atmosphere helped Keith during a tough experience. “Everyone’s head was up, and they were visiting with him and checking on him,” she said. “The chemo group became friends and families, and Gift of Life was a community, too. Having that support means so much to someone who doesn’t have that elsewhere, and they could understand what he was going through.”

After intermittent stays across four years of treatment, Keith moved from Gift of Life to Peace Hospice, where he passed away in October. “The compassion shown was above and beyond what I would expect anyone to provide,” Marie said. “He got so much good from Gift of Life. It really was a gift.”