Inspiration

The inspiration to develop a destination spa for the Midwest resulted from James Morrin's frustrating, and fruitless odyssey through the traditional medical establishment as he sought a diagnosis and treatment for a physically debilitating condition. When leading physicians in Chicago seemed unable to arrive at a comprehensive diagnosis or treatment for his condition, Jim's search led him to WholeHealth Chicago, a small group of integrative medicine practitioners led by David Edelberg, M.D. Dr. Edelberg has over 30 years of experience leading integrative medical practices, and is actively involved in many professional associations. Applying a more comprehensive approach, Dr. Edelberg correctly diagnosed Jim's condition, but instead of prescribing hospitalization and surgery, he recommended an extended stay at a destination health resort for rest, weight loss, exercise, and nutritional modification.

Mr. Morrin reluctantly agreed to a three-week stay at a destination health resort. As there are no good choices in the Midwest, he traveled to The Regency Health Resort in South Florida in June, 2004. There, he experienced significant improvement. In spite of a long-standing aversion to hot weather, he extended his three week stay to three months. During this time, he lost over 90 pounds, his triglyceride levels plummeted from over 600 mg/dl to a low normal level, and he averted gastric bypass surgery. He also established a personal health regime that he was able to bring home to help manage his health challenges, and to support continued weight loss and improved body strength.

Inspired by this experience, James and Deborah Morrin began to investigate the business potential for a destination health spa to serve the Midwest, within driving distance of Chicago. The more they learned, the more they became convinced that done properly, this could be a highly successful business venture.