Your stories
Everyone has a story. And this holds especially true for all of you connected to RMHC. You have high points and low times. You have setbacks and rallying spirits. You have tales of inspiration and stories of encouragement.
Share your story with others so they can inspire, encourage, and comfort families across the RMHC community.
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Our story started in September of 2008 when God moved our Family from Orange County to Menifee, about 11 miles north of Temecula. Our son was born on 12/16/2003. I knew it was known about because when I was a teenager I took care of a little boy at 2 months who also had this same disease. Our son was Born with Hirshsprungs Disease. A disease of the Colon. We knew shortly after coming home with Caiden that something was not right with him. He was very small and would not take his bottle, he was constipated all the time and he would lose weight instead of gaining weight, i know most babies lose weight after they are born, but we knew something was just not right. We said ok we are over reacting. 2 month check up the doctor asked how things were going and we said not well. He is very constipated and has a very hard time pooping, he said this is normal, some babies have a harder time then others, I said he tends to spit up a lot after we feed him, but he spits up a lot. They told us to change formula and start adding rice cereal to his bottles, but you need to go buy the Dr. Browns. So we tried that and he still fused over those, He just had a really hard problem gaining weight, We tried 3 different doctors and they all said the same thing. They told us to go out and buy baby drop Laxatives and that should relieve his constipation, which it did but we still knew something was not right.. So at 4 months we started him on Oatmeal. He loved it. We still gave him 4 bottles a day and he would never drank more then 4 6 ounces - onces he was abe to start eating people food he had this instant gag reflux - he would gag on anything - we were always prepared, so what would ever go in, instantly came out. So there again he could not gain weight. Still his doctors were like oh he seems fine. At 8 months we moved and we had a new Doctor, Thank Goodness. She was very concerned at 1st, and then we found out he had Asthma - great something else for him to have and he has it horrible bad. It would be that if he coughed he would throw up. She said he could not even make it on the weight chart but on the height chart he did. He still @ 2 years had asthma so bad that she referred us to go see a allergist to have testing done. He was allergic to everything, even air. He would walk outside and come back in and be one huge hive! We lived at the Allergist for the next 2 1/2 years, the kept him out of the ER most of the time - His eating never did get better [Read More]
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Hello my name is Stefany L., I come from Ecuador. My age is 18 years old, am a single mother, living with my mother and my daughter. I come from a very humble and nice, I have two sisters and one brother are in total 4. After 10 years I came to the United States, my mom brought us in view that my father died. It was very painful loss of our father but thank God we have overcome and have gone ahead thanks to my mother. My mom is everything to me, I love my mother because she always been there through thick and thin even though she was once estranged but I understand it was to give us a better future, now that I'ma mother I understand everything and thank my mother for being there with me always, advise and support. I finish my English classes, classes right now I'm studying to get my High School Diploma and after getting my High School Diploma I would like to study a university degree but for economic reasons, I have no money to pay my studies and especially can not work on my immigration status. I would like Ronald McDonald as help me with a scholarship so I can study, then give a better future for my daughter who is three years old. Well my question is if I can qualify for a scholarship but the problem is that no classes and finished my High School Diploma and even I do not have a percentage?
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Every year there is a fest on the street in front of one of our auto repair shop (Gateway Auto) in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. This year we wanted to do something positive with this time. We contacted Ronald McDonald House Charities and asked how we could help. They had representatives help us to set it up and even came out to share some time there with us. We were giving away a free oil change for anyone who donated $25 or more. It was a good response but we were amazed how many people donated smaller amount just for the cause. In all we raised $1100 that day. Every single employee of ours donated their time; some were there for over 12 hours. It was a very satisfying day and next year will be even bigger and will raise even more money! We cannot wait! As the coordinator of this event for Gateway Auto, I have to say I was very proud of the time and effort of our employees and volunteers, but more so of the people who donated.
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IN MAY OF 2007 I WAS APPROXIMATLY 5 MONTHS PREGNANT WHEN MY SON DECIDED HE WANTED TO COME INTO THE WORLD AND MEET HIS MOMMY. AN EMERGENCY C SECTION WAS PREFORMED, HE WEIGHED ONLY ONE LITTLE POUND AND 12 OZ. I WAS A SINGLE MOTHER FROM DALLAS TX BUT WAS IN ALABAMA AT THE TIME OF MY SONS BIRTH, WITH MY SON BEING BORN TOO PREMATURE HE HAD TO STAY IN THE NICU, LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO STAY IN THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE SOON AFTER. EVERYDAY PASSED REAL SLOW FOR ME, ALL I WANTED WAS FOR MY LITTLE BOY TO FINNALY GET TO HIS 3 POUNDS, SO THAT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO FIT AND WEAR SOME CLOTHES. AFTER BEING INCUBATED FOR 4 MONTHS I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO BE READY FOR RELEASE ANY DAY... BUT THEN MY SON WAS DIAGNOSED WITH SUBGLOTIC STENOSIS, IRRATATION AND SWELLING IN THE TRACHEA SO MY SON THEN HAD TO GO INTO HIS 3RD SURGERY GETTING A TRACHEOSTOMY TUBE PUT IN. AFTER GETTING HIS TRACH PUT IN I HAD TO LEARN HOW TO CHANGE HIS TRACH, CLEAN IT, SUCTION HIM, TAKE HIM A BATH, WELL YOU CAN IMAGINE IT WAS TOUGH. IT TOOK ABOUT A MONTH TO GET ALL THIS DONE. STAYING AT THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE WAS A TRUE BLESSING FOR ME. THE VOLUNTEERS WERE GREAT. I CANT THANK THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE FOR WHAT THEY DID FOR ME AND WHAT THEY DO FOR OTHER PARENTS. THANK YOU.
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Grace was born day after Christmas at only 24 weeks to the very day she weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. she was only 10 1/4 centimeters long.Grace spent 6 months in the hospital in Seattle I brought her home fourth of july weekend it was a day I dreamed about for months! amazing Grace is what all her doctors and nurses called her cause she fought hard to live and beat many medical odds... I have had Grace home now for about 6 months and we went to visit my mother in Kelso,Wa. Grace was teething she ended up with a fever 103.9 I called the pediatric doctor on call said to go to emergancy room after being admitted she got a virus and got very sick ended up on life support my whole body went limp seeing her back to PICU I have been here for 15 days and thankfully I was given a room at ronald mcdonld house it was the worst time to be so far from home but staying here was the best support of home i could have, being able to relax read a book cook meals and have the support of other Mom's and Dad's that had sick children and wer going through tough times I am so grateful for all the love and kindess everyone has given me her at the ronald mcdonald house to keep me strong and to get through this low time in my life and be healthy and well rested so I can take care of my baby thank you so much I will never forget my experiance here and hope to advocate in seattle for more places like this for family's dealing with longterm care or critical care fortheir children. It was a blessing Thank you from my the bottom of my heart...
There’s More
One story was selected as the winner of the Share. Give. Hope. campaign. Congratulations to Melissa Doherty and her Preemie Pals for her heartwarming submission about six families who formed a lifelong bond at the Ronald McDonald House. They will be featured in a USA Today print ad on November 6, 2009. While the winner was already chosen, we still encourage you to continue building on this living history and sharing your experience!
