The Ronald McDonald House

Where Mom and Dad Have Been Staying

What I have learned during this journey is the we are truly blessed! Blessed with Conner, blessed with Kensi, blessed with each other, blessed with our friends and family, and a big blessing to us right now is the Ronald McDonald House! Where we have been fortunate to be staying the last several nights.

They open their doors to the families of children who are in the hospital.  It truly is a great place.  Not at all what I was expecting.  Not sure what I was expecting, but this house exceeded every thought I had.  And what a wonderful thing they do to open their doors to those who had to travel so far to be with their babies.

On the Inside

While it may not look like much on the outside, even though I think it looks pretty cool. It really is very nice on the inside.  With security at night and a pass code to get in, safety is not an issue.  And being just 2 blocks from the hospital it is quite convenient.

And for those without a vehicle, like we were most the time we have been up here,  Norton Hospital security does offer a shuttle service.  However somewhat unreliable, it is a good alternative to walking in the cold or rain, or if you just had a c-section two days ago.

On the inside you walk in to Ronald McDonald sitting on a bench welcoming you home.  As you continue to the lobby you have the reception desk that is run by some of the most helpful people you could meet.  It takes a very special person to work here.

You walk into a big open common area with a big stair case and, this time of year, a beautiful Christmas tree.  If you were to continue walking you would see the first floor kitchen.  A big kitchen, which is more like four all in one.

It is here that each night a local group, church, family comes in and prepares dinner for those who are staying at the house.  And on the weekends a group comes in a fixes brunch as well.  This is a big help.  We all know how expensive it can be to stay away from home.

Each floor has its own common area with a living room and kitchen.  Here are what ours looked like on the 3rd floor

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It really is a nice place.  You have your own room that pretty much looks like a typical hotel room.   The bathrooms are shared, but they are really convenient.  Here is our room and the bathroom right out side:

   

All in all it’s a really nice place to stay if you ever find yourself in this kind of need.  What’s so great about it all is where it would have cost us from $50 and up per night to stay in a hotel in Louisville, here at the Ronald McDonald house it only cost us $15 a night.  And if that was going to be a problem they would work something out us.  Thankfully we were able to to pay our part.

The Blessing of the Ronald McDonald House

As I said before, I know that we are blessed.  While staying at the house we had the opportunity to talk with some of the the other families staying there.  After a couple of days we knew that Conner was going to be okay and we wouldn’t be staying very long.  A lot of families don’t have that kind of peace.

We met families that had only been there a little longer than us.  One family that had been there a couple of weeks.  And even one family that had already been there a couple of months and still don’t know when they would be going home.  My heart aches for them.

My first night in the house, before Kristi arrived or anything, right after I checked in I went down to the kitchen to see if I could find something to eat.  As I was leaving that area I noticed a bulletin board covered with story from families that have stayed at the house in the past.

One story really sticks out to me, of a pair of twins, a little boy and girl, who were born really early.  There was a picture of the little boy that showed the state he was in at the time.  It was probably the most pitiful picture I seen.  As I began to read the story, that was written from this little boy’s point of view, all kinds of emotions began to rush over me.  As the little boy begins to tell about the night his sister was born and how he was born the next day, he went on the tell about all the problems they had after birth. There was a reason there was only a picture of the little boy.  His sister died just a few days after they were born.

At that point really not knowing the condition Conner was in, I could really understand a lot of how this family felt.  I may not be able to relate to everything they were going through, but I could relate to that moment of uncertainty, of fear and worry.  I could relate to be away from home, isolated by all the events of the day.

It’s at those times when the blessing of the Ronald McDonald House really stands out.  To give a safe place, close to their child, or in some cases children, to be able to get the rest they need.  It’s those times that make a difference in the lives of those families.

It’s for those times, when all through out this blog I haven’t asked you for anything, I am now asking you now to help in some way.   Become informed about everything the Ronald McDonald House stands for, what they do, and their goals.  Give your change every time you go into a McDonald’s or through the Drive-Thru.  Save you tabs off of pop cans.

Or if you can and are willing DONATE!  Help keep this house running for those families!

You can find out more information: HERE

And you can Donate here:

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog.  Please click above and get involved!  And I haven’t asked you before but please Share, Like, and Comment!

Christopher P. Monroe