Family Stories
Gain Inspiration from our Families
After spending months working on the adoption process, Bobbi and Matt Neusch got the phone call they had been waiting for. Their baby girl had been born! They drove from the pandhandle of Texas to Austin to be with her. Since Lexie was born prematurely, they realized they would need to stay in Austin to be near her in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. Bobbi said she was prepared to sleep on the concrete floor to be near Lexie, but because of the Ronald McDonald House, she doesn't have to! She and Matt have a comfortable bed in a peaceful House near their new baby girl. Read their story here.
Four-year-old Tarell Sutherland was born with Bullous Icthyosis, a rare skin condition. He and his mother, Nicole McDougall, came to the U.S. from Belize to seek the medical attention he needed. His family found comfort at the Ronald McDonald House through this tough time. Watch the video and hear Nicole tell their story.
Kim and Leslie Beam were expecting their third child while staying at the Ronald McDonald House. Several days before Thanksgiving, they drove away from the Ronald McDonald House with 3-year-old Conner and headed toward College Station for a routine doctor’s visit. Leslie was due to deliver their new baby girl in two weeks. They were in for a big surprise at the doctor's office.
When Frey Becker was born eight weeks early weighing just 4 lb, 3 oz, Shey and Scott Becker didn't know what they were going to do. They suddenly found themselves miles from home in Austin with their precious baby boy in the neonatal intensive care unit.
When nine year old Jack House was diagnosed with a benign, germ cell tumor, the last thing his parents thought about was where they might sleep. They headed to Austin when the doctors said the tumor was compressing three-quarters of his left lung.
Allie and Dave Alter saw their lives change in an instant when their twins were born many weeks too early. Their first baby,Reese, lived about an hour, and the second one, Jada, spent over three months working hard to grow strong and healthy enough to go home. Allie took some time to share her story with us - you can watch the video here.
When the family of Matt McCrae got a call from an emergency worker on September 13th, 2009, they immediately rushed to the hospital, adrenaline flowing. Matt had been involved in a head-on collision and was transported by life flight from Burnet County into Austin.
12-year-old, Mitchell Rice was hanging out with his friends when some "boys will be boys" rough-housing occurred, leaving Mitchell with a 4-1/2 inch skull fracture with internal bleeding. After a few days at Dell Children's Medical Center, the doctors confirmed that the bleeding was continuing, putting pressure on his brain. Mitchell would need surgery.
The overwhelming experience of having triplet girls born two months prematurely was only part of the uphill battle the Wilson family had to face during the weeks before the holiday season.
The Zavaleta family left Mexico City for San Marcos to shop for their soon-to-be twins, and headed to the San Marcos Outlet Malls. It was there that Paola went into premature labor, and this Mexican family found themselves giving birth in the United States. Watch their story here.
When Kathy Flores' 3-month-old grandson, Mathaus, was diagnosed with cancer, the Flores family realized that the simple things are so vital. Even something as simple as a tomato. Read Kathy's letter to RMHC Austin here.