Our RMH story

For many of you, this isn't a new story. But as we kick our fundraising into full gear, I wanted to share with you all how blessed we were by the Ronald McDonal House (RMH) and hopefully you'll see our motivation to help them raise money.

We received Benjamin's diagnosis of craniosynistosis on November 27, 2007. Though we knew that it was possible that Benjamin would under go this major surgery, we really didn't think it would actually happen. We were praying that Benjamin would be healed, or that maybe this was all one big medical mess up. After receiving the news that our 6 month old had this rare deformity, and that in six days he would be undergoing major head surgery, all we could do was remind ourselves to breath. Breath in, breathe out.

When I woke up the next day, I found myself in a whirlwind of planning. Family had been notified, prayers were already being lifted up, there was cleaning, cooking, packing and child care to take care. I also found myself spending hours on line, trying to find every bit of information I could on the surgery. And though it wasn't a high priority, I knew I needed to make sure Curtis and I had a place to stay, to call home, while we were in an unfamiliar city, without our support system.

Our neuro surgeon refereed us to the RMH in Austin. It was such a weight off our shoulders to know that there was one less detail that needed to be taken care of! One less thing for me to plan, to arrange, to worry about.

We arrived in Austin, the evening before Benjamin's surgery, we checked into the RMH. They were kind, caring, and very warm. It was so nice to have a place to call home, while we were away from home.

After Benjamin's surgery, he spent 24 hours in the PICU. Only one parent could sleep in the room with him, and since I was the food supply, I pulled out the fold out couch and settled in for a very long night with very little sleep. Curtis, however, was able to go back to the RMH, sleep in a comfy bed, and get a shower the next morning (the PICU didn't have showers). Once Curtis got back to the hospital, my dad took me back to the RMH to shower. It was refreshing to get out, to have somewhere to rest and get cleaned up.

We only spent 3 nights in Austin, at the RMH. But what a difference it made! Though we had people offer to pay for a hotel during our time in Austin, I was thankful that the RMH was there for us, and we only had to pay $10 a night! Other than the low cost, there are also many other benefits to staying at the RMH; a family room, a play ground for other children, eating quarters with meals provided.

I know how greatly the RMH blessed us during a very hard and stressful time. I can only imagine what a blessing it is to families who have a child in the hospital for longer amounts of time.

Please consider how you can help the Ronald McDonald House Charities. You can donate to our team, by clicking the link on the right hand side of the blog. You can also join our team, and walk with us as we raise money and support this amazing charity. If you're interested in joining our team, click on the link. Then go to the link that says My Team Page.