“My husband, Jared, and I came to the Ronald McDonald House two days after our daughter was born. Our daughter, Rowan, was a bit too eager to meet us and was born ten weeks early. Needless to say, we were not quite prepared or ready for her arrival on so many levels and neither was she. The doctors let us know that she was in for a lengthy stay at the NICU and my heart wept at the thought of leaving her and not being able to stay close by.
The next day, a very kind social worker came to us and spoke about the Ronald McDonald House. I was a bit familiar with RMHC but did not realize they had a home so close to the hospital. She explained that if we wanted to stay, she would set everything up and when I was discharged, we could make our way over to check in.
We arrived at Ronald McDonald House after a hard discharge from the hospital without our new baby girl in hand. To our surprise, the House was within walking distance from the hospital or only a two minute drive.
A staff member welcomed us with a warm and gentle smile and took us on a tour. There were so many emotions running through us that evening and as the staff member left us in our room, I broke down thinking of all the unknowns…That was the beginning to our 58-night stay at RMH.
I have to say we were truly blessed by the opportunity to stay at this beautiful House. There were so many things the House provided to help us while we were there. They had prepared meals from volunteers which were a saving grace after long trying days, as well as having a communal kitchen area to make meals that felt home cooked when we had the energy. They also had a laundry room to use and a quiet library area to collect our thoughts on hard days back and forth from the hospital. In our time there, we met so many amazing families from all over the world, other NICU families, many volunteers, and staff members. The staff members were always there to help and make our stay as comfortable as possible. There were days where a simple good morning from a staff member would turn into an uplifting conversation that would help me get through the day and give me hope. When it was time to leave, we felt like we were leaving a second family we had been so graciously welcomed into.
Now as Rowan grows up, we are looking forward to coming, volunteering, and giving back to this wonderful organization. Without having a place like the Ronald McDonald House, so many would not have the opportunity to be close to their loved ones in the hospital or get the care they need. We could not have made it through without being there. Thank you so much for everything, we will be forever grateful.💗”
- Krystle and Jared