A Home Away from Home :
The Ronald McDonald House Provides for Families in Times of Trouble .
No family should ever have to experience the pain and uncertainty of caring for a very sick child . And , the mental , spiritual and financial stress that comes from that crisis is its own ordeal . Not only are parents and guardians worried about their loved ones , but giving a child the best possible care can mean uprooting an entire family to a big city for days , weeks or months on end . For those who must , Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana ( RMHCK ) is available to ease their worry during a very trying time .
Located on 1 st Street in downtown Louisville , just a few blocks from Norton Children ’ s Hospital , the Ronald McDonald House is strictly for those families in need . The Louisville location is one of more than 300 worldwide .
“ We ’ re a home away from home for the families of sick kids ,” said Hal Hedley , CEO of RMHCK . “ Families we serve here live outside of Jefferson , Floyd and Clark counties . They come to us when they seek health care in Louisville for their child , whether it ’ s a baby who was born prematurely , or a child diagnosed with cancer or in a car accident , or any other number of diagnoses .”
Families are typically referred to the Ronald McDonald House by a physician or health care professional in Louisville . The average length of stay for a guest is about a week , but it varies for every family that walks through the door . Some have come and gone in a night or two . Others stay for weeks or months at a time .
“ I ’ ve been in my role for 15 years , and the longest stay I ’ ve seen in that time was a year and a half ,” Hedley recalled . “ Once a family checks to the Ronald McDonald House , they ’ re here for as long as they need us . It ’ s not like a hotel where you have a check-in and check-out date .”
The building intentionally resembles a home with living spaces , decorations and a cozy atmosphere . Guests at the Ronald McDonald House have meals prepared by volunteers or donated by the community , free laundry facilities and toiletries are on site , and books and movies are available to pass the time .
“ You don ’ t see many families around during the day , because they ’ re typically at the hospital visiting their children ,” Hedley said . “ But it gets busier here in the evenings . Around dinner we see a lot of families coming back . They ’ ll eat dinner and catch up with one another . One of the biggest benefits of the House is to be around other families in similar situations . They can interact with one another and form a support system .”
Hedley said working at the Ronald McDonald House is its own reward , as staff gets the opportunity to bond with these families and provide for them in every way possible .
“ We ’ re very fortunate here in that most of the situations are either resolved or improved , so families leave with their child healthier than when they arrived ,” he said , before acknowledging that not every family has a happy ending .
“ There is the other side too . Other than being in the family
6 VITAL SIGNS Volume 12 • Issue 1