When a child becomes ill or is injured, the entire family is affected. For the Atkins family, life was about to become impossible or at least so they thought.
"Our journey with the Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley started the same way as so many other families, after the worst day of our lives,” said mom, Alyssa, whose two-year-old daughter Charlotte was taken by helicopter to a hospital more than two hours from their home. Charlotte was involved in an accident which resulted in the traumatic amputation of her right leg. "We didn't leave her side for the first six days. Ronald McDonald House was full at the time but the staff worked diligently to find a room for us to call home.”
Once a room became available, the Atkins family spent the next 30 days calling our House their home. “I don't know what we would have done without Ronald McDonald House, having a home to come back to after the never ending hours spent with our daughter. My birthday happened to fall within our time at the House and the volunteers went out of their way to bake me a cake. The home cooked meals were always so comforting as well as delicious.”
However, the Atkins' experience was different from many families as Alyssa was also nine months pregnant with their second child at the time of the accident. “Our son was born during our stay at the Ronald McDonald House. The kindness and professionalism from the staff made a safe home for us to bring our new baby into. We are so grateful that Ronald McDonald House exists. We had heard of them but had no idea of how much they do for families. Having a home-away-from-home makes your darkest days a little brighter. Having homemade meals makes it possible to take care of yourself. Being just steps away from the hospital made it so much easier for us to spend time with our daughter while still being able to care for our son. We cannot thank the Ronald McDonald House of the Greater Hudson Valley enough for all they did for us. We look forward to being able to pay it forward by coming back to the House and cooking a meal for other families going through tough times.”
For families like the Atkins, Ronald McDonald House is there, providing a safe and comfortable place for them to turn to when life becomes unimaginable. Without the support of people like you, we couldn’t do what we do: keep families together during these most critical times. Please consider a gift today to help us continue to support families throughout the Hudson Valley and beyond.
