Respite in the mountains

Walking through the pine trees on her Summit County property five summers ago, newly-retired advertising executive Duck White-Petteruti looked at the natural beauty all around, considered her future outside the corporate rat race, and asked an essential question:

“Okay, God, why?”

Duck and her husband, Vince, had bought the parcel in the Upper Blue valley in 1990 and had long planned to settle into retirement there.

With their three children grown, the couple left high-powered jobs in Chicago and started construction on their dream house.

On that sunny summer day in 2003, Vince was out backpacking when Duck had her quiet moment of contemplation.

Within a minute, she felt the question’s answer in her heart.

“It became clear we should do for other families what I’d done for my own,” she recalled recently.

What Duck had done in 1997 was organize a family trip to Colorado for her terminally-ill mother and sisters. The week-long visit to Vail proved to be intensely positive for all involved.

With her purpose now clarified, she and Vince spent the next several years researching, planning, and networking to create a novel program that gives cancer patients and their families free access to unused vacation homes.

And with the support of friends, a variety of expert advisors, and the Summit Foundation, they founded the Domus Pacis Family Respite — hosting their first two families this month.

The idea takes shape

The goal of the Domus Pacis Family Respite — “Domus Pacis” means “house of peace” in Latin — is to provide those suffering from serious illness or trauma an opportunity to experience a relatively stress-free week in the mountains with their families, Vince said.

“It’s a time for them to ‘get away.’ There’s a peace here,” he added. “Maybe they can work through some things.”

When battling serious illnesses such as cancer, the struggle to get from day to day can be overwhelming, Duck explained.

It’s often difficult for patients and their families to summon up the energy to plan any sort of break from the constant focus on medical concerns.

And financial issues frequently add to the psychological stress. The bankruptcy rate for people with cancer runs about 10 percent for those with health insurance, and as high as 50 percent for those without, Vince said.

The nature of the Summit County tourist economy became central to the couple’s vision.

Duck and Vince saw how many local vacation homes sit vacant and put two and two together: Why not match up those in need with those who have something to offer?

Domus Pacis makes its first match

Rebecca Schroeder has had more than her fair share of challenges as a mother.

The Monument, Colo., mom’s youngest daughter, Danielle, 8, was diagnosed with a tumor on her pancreas six years ago.

Several rounds of exhausting treatment have arrested the growth of the girl’s ganglioneuroblastoma, but she will always have to live with its long-term effects: balance and learning problems.

And last year, Schroeder’s 12-year-old son, Seth, was discovered to have insulin-dependent diabetes, which requires him to monitor his blood sugar and take regular injections to survive.

For families untouched by chronic illness, it may be hard to imagine the challenges Schroeder and her husband, Steve, face each day, year after year.

Not so for part-time Breckenridge residents Barbara and Fred Schiller, however.

As a two-time survivor of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Barbara knows what it’s like to live with cancer.

“We all think we control our lives,” she said recently. “But ultimately, we have very little control. And you don’t realize if until something like cancer happens.”

Because of her personal experience, as well as her husband’s recent diagnosis of kidney cancer, the Schillers have tried to contribute as much as possible to cancer-related organizations.

As luck would have it, Barbara Schiller happened to attend water aerobics classes with Duck White-Petteruti at the Breckenridge Recreation Center.

When she heard about the plan for Domus Pacis, Schiller offered her the use of two short-term rental townhomes she and her husband own for a week in June.

“They didn’t want the units in the peak of the season,” she said. “A unit is sitting empty. Why not utilize it and give someone a chance to feel good?”

White-Petteruti spread the word about the available units through her extensive network and somehow — no one has been able to track down exactly how — Schroeder’s pediatrician in Monument received an e-mail about it and mentioned it.

“I called Duck right away,” Schroeder said. Within three weeks, Rebecca, Steve, Danielle, Seth, and daughter Julia found themselves in the mountains, with nothing to do but have fun.

“It’s been great,” Rebecca said on their third day here. “Just to take our minds off everything — they can just be kids.”

During their week here, the Schroeders made discounted trips to the rec center and a free visit to Breckenridge’s Ready Paint Fire, sat for a family portrait provided by Kay Beaton of Beaton Photography, and, above all, experienced the natural beauty of Summit County — all while staying at a town home that would have otherwise sat vacant.

“The kids absolutely love the place we’re in,” Rebecca Schroeder said.

Support is still needed

The White-Petterutis hope the success of their organization’s first week hosting the Schroeders, as well as one other family from the Front Range, will continue.

Second-home owners interested in participating need not commit to any particular week in advance, Duck White-Petteruti said.

“I’d like to get an inventory of units we could use if they’re not already booked,” she explained. Matching the right unit with the appropriate family is important, she added.

As it stands now, Domus Pacis will pay for all cleaning, and the organization has a fund to cover — at a minimum — the homeowner’s insurance deductible for any damage.

Vince said he feels optimistic about the potential in Summit County for this type of endeavor.

The way he sees it, making the trip as easy as possible for overwhelmed families is of utmost importance.

“One of the biggest challenges we’ll have is getting people to allow themselves to do this,” he said.

The couple is continuing to work with the American Cancer Society, Centura Health and their own personal national networks of friends and associates to reach potential clients.

As for cancer-survivor Schiller, she has only words of praise for Domus Pacis.

“I think it’s a wonderful, wonderful organization,” she said.

After their week at her units, both families wrote letters of thanks, but Schiller intimated that it was she who received the greater gift.

“What cancer teaches you is you live everyday to the fullest,” she said. “It’s great to have stuff for yourself, but it’s also great to be able to give.”

Harriet Hamilton can be reached at (970) 668-4651, or at hhamilton@summitdaily.com.

How to help

Summit County's Domus Pacis Family Respite is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported, in part, by a grant from the Summit Foundation.

The organization matches families with donated vacation resort housing and appropriate resources for respite vacations in Summit County.

Those interested in donating housing, time, services or supplies are encouraged to contact Domus Pacis at (970) 547-4745, P.O. Box 3366, Breckenridge, CO 80424. For more information, visit www.domuspacis.org.