“Our son Jake was born with a congenital heart defect that was discovered after birth. We live four hours away. He was transferred by helicopter, and we drove up at that time also. Once we realized we were going to be there for an extended time, the social worker suggested the Ronald McDonald House. We applied for a stay and moved in the day before his first open heart surgery. 

The House has helped our family. Obviously financially- travel expenses add up and with extended stays and missed work the impact is felt but also in so many other ways. I would say the biggest help initially was being able to keep our other child with us and still be close to the hospital. Our daughter really benefited from the play and activity areas and especially the therapy animals helped her when we were having such a hard time. My husband and I would switch out and go back and forth and it was so helpful because we were right there close by. Now that our son is a little older, he loves the play and activity areas also. 

I feel safe everywhere on the property and also walking back and forth to the hospital at any hour. In the initial days being postpartum and facing so much unknown with this new major diagnosis for our newborn, I was a mess to say the least both physically recovering from a c-section and my husband and I both mentally also. I remember walking by staff, volunteers and security sometimes crying. They would simply smile- they didn’t comment or ask questions. I didn’t have to explain anything, but I knew they cared also. I felt that in a really difficult time. There as much as you need them is the best way I can explain it. 

This House is keeping families together in some of their most difficult circumstances. It’s providing a clean, safe place for families with sick children to stay. It’s taking the scary, sometimes really difficult reality of a child’s health struggles and easing that by letting them just be a child and experience joy in the form of play and activities. My kids love coming to Ronald McDonald House now and it’s not just coming to Cincinnati for only pain and pokes to my little boy when we’re there- that means everything when your kid has went through so much. 

Also, your donations are feeding people- an act of love and compassion and to me, that’s a kindness I will never forget and will always support.” – Rikki, Jake’s mom