News & Stories

Little Ané was admitted to the hospital at only 16 months old, with her mom Kiara at her bedside, for more than 8 weeks as she was diagnosed and treated for a brain tumor. Kiara knew she needed to find a place to stay nearby. Luckily, they found a home away from home at Ronald McDonald House.

On December 17, Veterans United Home Loans surprised Army veteran Brandon Swan and his family, whose newborn son Finnley is receiving critical medical care for a heart condition, and other...

By now, we all know the incredible challenges of living in a COVID-19 world: navigating remote school, working, keeping your family safe and healthy. Now imagine all of that while your child is in the hospital far from home. The Sullivan family knows exactly how it feels.

Baby Owen made his debut on February 13 to overjoyed parents. Kristine was discharged two days later, but because Owen was born at only 33 weeks, his stay in the NICU lasted a bit longer. To stay close to Owen, Chris and Kristine moved into the Ronald McDonald House, where they stayed for more than a month.

A mother’s love can make a heart dance. Born with a serious heart condition, Olivia needed heart surgery to save her life just days after her birth. During a month-long hospital stay, her mom and dad stayed by her side at Ronald McDonald House.

A few weeks before Everly Backe entered the world, her parents learned she would be born with a congenital heart defect. Within three days of her birth, Everly had open-heart surgery. It was the first of three she’d undergo before her first birthday.

When five-year-old John Francis was airlifted from Children’s Mercy Hospital in Missouri to Lurie Children’s on May 1, his parents, Hemma and John, had no idea how long they would be away from home and their other two children. All they knew was that their son needed a new heart.

When Mason Pritchett was just a baby, he was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder that required a bone marrow transplant to save his life. But when the first transplant failed, Mason needed an emergency second transplant. Through both transplants, his family was by his side every step of the way thanks to Ronald McDonald House.

All new parents want to welcome a healthy baby into the world, but when something goes wrong, “it feels like sudden chaos” Hanz van Aardt remembers after the birth of his daughter Zaylee in March 2019.

When three-year-old Theresa came down with what her parents, Kayla and Nick, thought was an ear infection, they weren’t too worried. But after a few days of no improvement, they took Theresa to their family doctor, where it turned out the situation was much more serious – and immediate.