BRUNSWICK — Five years ago, Cook’s Corner Cumberland Farms manager Jen Anderson had no explanation for her daughter’s intense stomach pain.

Late one night, the worried mother drove her 15- year- old daughter from their Richmond home for a local checkup, but still there were no answers. Her daughter was taken by ambulance to Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland.

For three to four months, Anderson stayed there at the hospital with her daughter, who went through a series of treatments that yielded occasional successes.

Anderson said the accommodations at the hospital allowed her and family visitors to stay comfortably.

“The place is there for the whole family,” Anderson said.

Today, Anderson said her daughter, Chenessa Carrier, is back to a normal life and is making progress on managing the intestinal disorder known as Crohn’s disease that put her through years of treatment and multiple surgeries. It still requires careful attention.

Over that time, Anderson grew close to the staff at the Portland hospital, enough for her and her daughter to become involved this year with fundraising for the hospital during an annual radiothon put on by two Portland radio stations.

As one of 51 patient families sharing her story on the air from Portland, Anderson helped to raise money in the radiothon that netted a total of $260,233.

“She loved that place,” Anderson said. “The nursing staff that we had — we’re now friends on Facebook to stay connected, because it’s kind of like a family there.”

The experience of her daughter’s illness was difficult, Anderson said, but ultimately inspired her daughter to study for a Certified Nursing Assistant license. In December, Anderson said, her daughter started work at the Hawthorne House Nursing Home in Freeport.

“She’s taking care of people herself now and she really loves it,” Anderson said. “That’s what she wants to do is to give back what she received.”

The same goes for Anderson.

This year, Anderson’s personal connection also tied into her professional work. Throughout March, which ends Saturday, five cents from every cup of coffee sold at her store and other Cumberland Farms stores will benefit the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.

In the first three weeks, Anderson said, her store raised nearly $15,000.

Anderson said she heard last December that her employer would sponsor a benefit for the hospital, “ and I’ve been ecstatic since,” Anderson said. “It’s something that I can help promote and feel really, really good about, and the customers love it, too.”

Aside from coffee sales, Anderson said, donation cards have also been available for customers to donate directly to the cause.

Sharing her personal story has been a part of that, Anderson said.

“A lot of people know about it, so it’s really close to home,” Anderson said.

Anderson said news about her and her daughter appearing on the radiothon spread quickly among customers, which she said was good but made her a little nervous.

“I knew everyone would be listening, but the customers are so supportive,” Anderson said.

In years to come, Anderson said she’ll likely be back on air to support the cause.

“This was the first year that I had done that and it was a lot of fun and had I known before, I would have been right there,” Anderson said. “They are fantastic people (at Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital) and it’s like a home away from home.”

The Cumberland Farms fundraiser for Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital will continue through the end of March, and Anderson said she’ll be looking to break week three’s fundraising total of $8,077 this week.

dfishell@timesrecord.com