When the best treatment for a sick child is far from home, thankfully, families don’t have worry about where to stay. At a Ronald McDonald House, families can stay together, rest and recharge to remain strong for their child, interact with families going through similar experiences, enjoy home-cooked meals and receive compassionate hospitality from staff and volunteers — all just minutes from the hospital where their child is receiving care.
Family proximity to the hospital provides important psychological benefits
Parent’s get better sleep at a Ronald McDonald House
Families who stay in a Ronald McDonald House report more positive hospital experiences and a greater ability to participate in their child’s care
Why is the Ronald McDonald House Charities important to us?
Well, the thing about having a child with special needs is the community built around the "hospital life." While we did not have to stay at RMDH when Grayson was born, because we lived close enough to the hospital, we met many parents who were staying at RMDH. It gave them a home close to their child, somewhere to sleep comfortably at night, in an actual bed and not some weird hospital chair, a place to find a warm meal at the end of a long day, and ultimately a place to unwind after hearing nonstop monitors and all of the hustle and bustle of the hospital all day. Most importantly, when you stay at RMDH you are within a few minutes of your child and can be right there if they need you.
This April it finally came our turn to stay at RMDH when Grayson had his cast removed from his surgery at Shriner's Hospital in Greenville, SC. We had to stay in the area for 3 days after cast removal to participate in some very important occupational therapy sessions. However, with us living well over 2 hours from the hospital, driving back and forth across state lines for 3 days wasn't exactly feasible. Thankfully, RMDHC was there to help us. They not only gave us a place to sleep for 3 days, and 2 nights but felt like family while we were there. There was a pantry of snacks we could grab from whenever we felt hungry, there was food we could cook and a huge kitchen and anything we would need to make a meal for our family, and each night they provided a warm dinner for everyone in the house. All of this was provided to us for almost no cost at all so that we could focus on our son and his recovery and health. I will also say they made my daughter feel like she was the most important kid in the house when they saw her too which made my heart soar, sometimes as the healthy sibling, I worry she feels ignored when we go places for Grayson.
All of this is to say that based on our experience alone we will continue to support RMHC for the rest of our lives because of the incredible job they did making us feel and the other families in the house feel at home during a less than ideal time when let's face it, we would probably rather be home.
This is truly an incredible charity and your money goes a long way when you donate.