This weekend, April 4–5, more than 30,000 people will gather for music, barbecue and a good time at the 15th annual Hogs for the Cause Festival in New Orleans.
And at Hogs House here in Baton Rouge, families facing some of their most difficult days are reaping the benefits of the revelry.
Located on the Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital campus, the Hogs for the Cause Family Support Home, more commonly known as Hogs House, opened last February to offer free lodging to those with loved ones receiving pediatric medical treatment.
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It was made possible by a $2.25 million pledge from Hogs for the Cause, a Crescent City organization that launched a similar Hogs for the Cause Family Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans (now Manning Family Children’s) in 2018.
Its annual festival and programming throughout the year have helped the nonprofit give more than $2.7 million in direct grants to families battling pediatric cancer and another $9 million to hospitals around the country.
Hogs House at OLOL Children’s was able to serve nearly 250 families from around the state and throughout the Gulf Coast in its first year, with more than half coming back for repeated stays.
Dr. Shaun Kemmerly, chief medical officer of OLOL Children’s, says the welcoming respite has translated to better care for the hospital’s young patients.
“It’s really special to have a place where families can just take a minute and walk away from the bedside, especially if their child is critically ill and in the hospital for several days. … It’s so important for our care team because the parent, or the family member, is a critical component of the care team,” she says. “It’s important to have them refreshed and strong.”
With 12 private rooms, a guest kitchen, a backyard, a laundry room, a communal lounge and a dedicated staff, the space provides a comfortable setting for patients’ caregivers. The interiors are cheerily decorated, in contrast to tight, sterile hospital quarters with a foldout bed. Rooms can accommodate three, with a queen-sized bed and a twin bed, allowing some to travel with siblings or grandparents for additional support.
Caregivers can walk over from the hospital for a quick shower or nap, and Kemmerly says the house sees many family members tag-team throughout the day so someone can always be at the bedside with the child in the hospital, while also making time for rest during what’s often a taxing process.
And one year in, Kemmerly says Hogs House has revealed an unnoticed need for families in the region. With only a handful of children’s hospitals in Louisiana, families from hours away will often drive into Baton Rouge for appointments and surgeries, Kemmerly explains.
Doctors’ days can begin as early as 7 a.m., requiring patients to arrive around 5:30 a.m. Until now, this meant many families were booking hotel rooms or driving through the early morning hours—making a long day even longer for sick children and their caregivers.
Now, families can come to Hogs House a day early and get a full night’s rest. On the flip side, rather than fighting 5 p.m. traffic after a day of appointments, families can grab a bite to eat, sleep the night at Hogs House and head home the next morning.
“It’s just really allowed us to offer convenience and peace of mind to so many families,” Kemmerly says.
Amelia Green and her 2-year-old son Maverick drive four hours from north Louisiana to Baton Rouge about once a month for pediatric care. They’ve stayed in Hogs House about a dozen times in its first year.
Maverick was born with campomelic dysplasia, a rare condition that affects bone and cartilage development and can lead to respiratory difficulties and heart defects. He spent 53 days in the NICU after he was born, and Green still remembers cramming into the hospital room with her husband, Casey, while being separated from her now 13-year-old stepson, Caleb, for the entire stay.
Today, Maverick requires monthly visits with neurologists and other specialists, sometimes with back-to-back appointments. Depending on how he’s breathing that day, Green says she never knows if he’ll need to stay at the hospital overnight. And due to his condition, Maverick is unable to sit in his car seat for long stretches of time, making a “turnaround visit” impossible.
The accessibility of Hogs House means Casey or Maverick’s grandmother—Maverick’s “favorite person”—can comfortably accompany him and his mom on trips to Baton Rouge. And there’s no longer a concern about being separated from Caleb for an extended period, as there’s room for him, too.
The biggest win for Green? That Hogs House is free.
“You want the best care for your kid,” she says. “It takes the burden off of being able to afford his care. You don’t have to worry about having to afford someplace to stay.”
The kind-hearted staff and bright pig-centric artwork are perks, too. Maverick loves to take a picture with Rosie, the house’s pink pig statue, at each visit, Green says.
Kemmerly says Hogs House’s major goal now is simply to reach more families like the Greens. In its first year, the house had about a 60% occupancy rate. Kemmerly wants to push that to 100% and continue to spread the word about its services for families.
“That’s pretty good for our first year, but we want to do even more,” she says.
The Greens will continue using Hogs House at least once a month for the foreseeable future. Maverick will have regular checkups for the rest of his life.
His parents want to provide their son with the very best care they can—and a few more cute pig pics, too.
Progress report
Hogs House’s first year
3,920+
Nights of free lodging provided by Hogs House
60%
Approximate occupancy rate
3-4
Average number of nights stayed at Hogs House
244
Families served
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126
Families who came back for repeated stays
This article was originally published in the April 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.