The Horner Family Garden of Hope brings to life yet another aspect of the Horner family’s deep faith and devotion to serving others.
Visitors to Baylor University Medical Center might have spent some time reflecting in the Joan Horner Interfaith Prayer Garden or found comfort in the Horner Family Chapel in the Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center. At the American Cancer Society Gene and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge in Dallas, guests will be able to enjoy the Horner Family Garden of Hope, which brings to life yet another aspect of the Horner family’s deep faith and devotion to serving others through this very special gift.
“We all come from different backgrounds, every single one of us,” Tim Horner remarked. “Life needs what my dad calls a ‘dose of hope.’ When you get together, you’re going to get plenty of
injections of hope from each other. That is a powerful statement on the source of hope and encouragement from one another.”
Enabling guests of Hope Lodge to share their journeys with one another and to find strength in this special community inspires Tim. As the president of Premier Designs Incorporated, and son of the company’s founders, Joan and Andy Horner, Tim has a respect and deep devotion to those around him.
Many of Tim’s employees at Premier Designs have received treatment for cancer at Baylor Scott & White Health, and remarked on the hope and strength they found in the Horner family’s eponymous prayer garden and chapel while they went through treatment. “Hope is a meaningful term for Premier Designs,” Tim explained. The company even named its training center the Haven of Hope.
“We believe that the only hope in life is eternal life. I believe that through our faith in Christ himself — that’s the ultimate hope,” Tim said, “but the lodge itself will give people with financial pressures and stresses a little bit of rest and a chance to stay close to their loved ones.”
As guests of Hope Lodge find respite in the Horner Family Garden of Hope, a healing garden alive with milkweed, marigold and lantana, they will also enjoy the delicate, peaceful nature of the butterflies it will attract. Tim’s hope is that this space brings people and their families struggling with cancer together to find a significant sense of strength in each other.
“I believe that people are made to be with people, especially when you are dealing with difficult circumstances of life, like cancer,” Tim said. “People need people. When they’re together, whether they speak a word or not, the presence of each other as they go through similar challenges is the biggest encouragement. I believe God created us for that, to serve and offer hope to each other.
“We’re blessed, humbled and excited to be even a small part of the work that is being done here,” Tim said.
