Carly’s House — A Story of Purpose, Love, and Community
On January 1st, 2025—her birthday—my wife Carly became very sick, very fast while we were in Japan. Within a single day she was rushed to a hospital in Kyoto, where she required emergency surgery. Doctors removed a mass of tumors from her abdomen, and several suspicious lymph nodes. They were almost certain she had cancer.
She spent the next 14 days in that Kyoto hospital, drifting in and out of consciousness, often forgetting what she had been told. I never left her side. I stayed every possible minute of visiting hours, and I even snuck in when I wasn’t supposed to be there.
When she was clear-headed enough, I brought our 17-year-old daughter and her friend to see her. Carly had been thinking. With tears in her eyes, she shared two things she wanted:
- She wanted our family to have dinner together every Sunday.
- She wanted to give back more to the community.
Her real estate business had always been rooted in giving back, but this moment gave that promise a deeper meaning.
Less than a month later, the worst news imaginable was confirmed: Stage 4 Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that is always fatal. We were devastated.
We continued searching for hope and she was eventually accepted into a promising clinical trial—until tragedy struck again. During a routine bone marrow biopsy before the trial, doctors discovered a second cancer: CLL. That disqualified her, and once again our world collapsed.
(Photo from the day we were disqualified from clinical trials)
Homes For Life — Carly’s Promise in Action
Carly needed purpose. She remembered her promise to give back, and asked me to help her do something meaningful. At the same time, the Nanaimo Hospital Foundation urgently needed to raise $2.9 million for a SPEC/CT machine—critical for early cancer detection.
A cruel coincidence: a machine like that might have helped save her.
So I created the Homes For Life initiative—aligning Carly’s real estate business and my real estate marketing company with a mission to support the hospital. Through social campaigns, in-person events, and community outreach, Homes For Life became one of the foundation’s most successful visibility and fundraising efforts.
More than 1,000 donations came in. Combined with the efforts of many other volunteers and fundraisers outside of our initiative, the full $2.9 million was raised. We did it!
Chemo, Survival, and a New Mission
While this was happening, Carly began heavy chemotherapy—two brutal protocols, DHAP and CHOP-R, alternating every three weeks. It destroyed her immune system. She lost her hair. She suffered temporary vision and hearing impairment. She endured migraines so severe she spent 12 hours in the ER at a time. And she faced countless other symptoms we won’t describe here out of dignity.
Through all of it, she stayed as positive as anyone possibly could.
(Our daughter Ariyah, made these. Carly would not start chemo without them)
Even though visitors aren’t allowed to stay during chemo treatments, the nurses took one look at us the moment we walked in and knew I wasn’t going anywhere. I stayed by her side through every round — every needle, every crash, every tiny victory — right up until she finished the heavy chemo in September 2025. And now, after everything she’s fought through, we’re finally at a place where she only needs treatment every three months instead of every three weeks. It’s not the end of the journey, but it’s a blessing we don’t take for granted.
A Home With a Purpose
During this time, I often walked with my close friend of nearly 30 years, Jeff Pady. His family was preparing to sell their home. When I saw it—wheelchair accessible, practical, and already configured for someone in care—an idea formed.
I bought the home privately for exactly what a local Realtor had suggested. But the real purpose was much bigger than the purchase.
As we drove to chemo, Carly and I often talked about how lucky we were to live just 15 minutes from the hospital. We could go home after treatment. Rest in our own bed. Be with our family.
Not everyone had that.
We met patients who drove hours each way for treatment. Patients staying in hotel rooms alone, walking through lobbies while violently sick. Patients separated from loved ones. People suffering without privacy, comfort, or dignity.
So the idea became clear:
What if we donated this home as a safe, private, dignified place for out-of-town cancer patients to stay during treatment?
We decided to call it Carly’s House.
The Hospital Foundation and the City
My first call was to Barney, the CEO of the Nanaimo Hospital Foundation, who had become a friend during the SPEC/CT campaign. He loved the idea and even suggested expanding it to expectant mothers facing similar out-of-town challenges.
Next, I met with the City of Nanaimo. Fortunately, the home has the correct zoning and no licensing red flags. Carly’s House can move forward.
What Carly’s House Needs
We’ve invested over $500,000 of our own money into purchasing and preparing the home. It’s freshly painted and has a newer heat pump, but it’s an older home and needs help:
- New windows (current ones are old single-pane, causing condensation and drafts)
- Bathroom renovation (accessible but outdated)
- Updated flooring (ideally waterproof laminate for easy cleaning)
- New appliances (the existing ones are very old)
Dream upgrades that would transform the home—if we can find community support—include:
- Full exterior renovation
- Modern siding and a new building envelope
- A welcoming front porch seating area
- A bathroom added to each upstairs bedroom (hugely beneficial for chemo patients)
(Carly excited for this newly painted kitchen. Imagine family breakfast before treatment here.)
How the Community Can Help
We are reaching out to contractors, tradespeople, window companies, plumbers, appliance retailers, furniture companies, and community members who want to support something meaningful. Donations of materials, labour, discounted services, or furnishings would make a tremendous impact.
Every bit helps.
We are committed—financially, emotionally, and personally. I will honour my wife while she is alive and help her fulfill the purpose she knows she was put on this earth for.
Carly’s House is going to happen. And with the support of the community, it can become everything it deserves to be.
This is the beginning of something meaningful. This is our ask for help. This is Carly’s House.
How You Can Reach Out
If any part of our story has resonated with you and you’d like to connect, support, or even just send a few kind words, we’d be truly grateful.
You can find me here:
- Facebook: facebook.com/morgandavidcarey
- Instagram: @morgancarey
- Contact form on our real estate site: carlycarey.com/contact
If you prefer email, you can reach me at morgan @ rew.com (just remove the spaces when you use it). And you can text me at 250-668-7364
Whether you want to share your own story, ask a question, get involved, or simply let us know you’re thinking of Carly, it all matters more than you know. ❤️
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