The Abe & Louise Jaramillo Garden of Hope at Nevada Cancer Institute Opens

The Abe & Louise Jaramillo Garden of Hope at Nevada Cancer Institute opened Thursday during a dedication ceremony, giving patients and their families a peaceful spot to meditate in and be surrounded by nature's beauty.

The garden was created and given to NVCI by the Jaramillo family, who has experienced the great loss of seven family members to cancer between 2001 and 2007.

As a result, they partnered with NVCI to design and install The Abe & Louise Jaramillo Garden of Hope for cancer patients, their families and NVCI staff. As pioneers in Las Vegas, the Jaramillo family is focused on bettering the community and helping those impacted by cancer.

"We wanted to give cancer patients and their families a place to gather their thoughts and give them the courage to face what lies ahead of them," said Nina Jaramillo Washawanny, a granddaughter of Abe and Louise Jaramillo, who helped spearhead the garden. "We also wanted to give workers a place to get a reprieve so that as employees, they will have the strength to keep on doing what they do every day – help save lives and give patients hope."

The dedication ceremony included a ribbon cutting and presentation from Sen. John Ensign's office in support of The Abe & Louise Jaramillo Garden of Hope. Jaramillo family members, supporters, patients and staff were present to tour the gardens.