Toby Keith Gets Approval for Oklahoma City Cancer Facility

Regulators in Oklahoma City have cleared the way for the OK Kids Korral, a facility for pediatric cancer patients and their families being built by the Toby Keith Foundation.

Work on the $8.5 million facility is expected to begin this spring, News OK reports, and continue through 2013. The 25,000-square-foot building will host patients receiving treatment at numerous nearby medical centers.

"Over the past few years, all these state-of-the-art cancer facilities have been coming to Oklahoma City," said Juliet Nees-Bright, director of the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority. "More kids are coming for treatment than ever before. We realized we needed to create a place, one that specializes in helping kids. They have special needs -- they have immune systems that are very weak."

Toby, who was recently honored for his work on behalf of America's troops, has been an advocate for kids with cancer since a close friend of his lost a child to the disease.

With its wood siding and stone, the OK Kids Korral will resemble a Western lodge. In addition to 12 overnight suites, the building will feature four for families that travel to Oklahoma City in the morning but don't have medical appointments until the afternoon.

"So instead of having to stay at the hospital during that time, the families can come back where they can use the library, play area -- where parents can get on a computer and check email -- or they can simply relax," Nees-Bright said.