15 Oct Far From Home During a Pandemic

You Helped Caleb’s Family Stay Close and Stay Strong

The future looked so bright … and then, the whole world came crashing down. That’s how Caleb’s family felt when they found out their baby was critically sick.

Caleb was born with multiple life-threatening conditions. He needed surgery, intensive care, and the love only his mom, dad, and siblings could provide.

Caleb’s family vowed to stay by his side. They braced themselves for a difficult journey. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic – a health crisis impacting people around the world and right here in our community. As travel to and from the hospital became more difficult, the fight for Caleb’s life became even harder.

At first, Caleb’s family worried that they wouldn’t be able to stay together. Then, they found out that they had a friend on their side … YOU. This is the story of how, at such a critical time, YOU made a real difference for families fighting illness. You shared the love and hope that Caleb and his family needed to pull through!

Strength in Numbers

After Caleb was born, he was rushed to the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The fragile newborn had a whole team rooting for him: his parents, Ashley and Ryan, and his siblings Skylar, age 10, Autumn, 7, and Cooper, 4.

Caleb’s family lived too far away to travel back and forth to the hospital every day. When a social worker told them that they could stay nearby at a Ronald McDonald House, Ashley called it “a blessing.” Thanks to you and your generous donations, she didn’t have to worry about where her family would eat, sleep, or do laundry for the next 113 days.

“Ronald McDonald House enabled us to be with our son so much more than we would have been able to otherwise,” Ryan says. “That ended up being critical to his survival.”

Then, just as COVID-19 began to sweep across the United States, little Autumn became sick with cold symptoms. She and her brothers were tested for the new coronavirus, and until the results came back, the family went into isolation. In a time of nearly paralyzing fear, the family found comfort and support inside their private room at a Ronald McDonald House.

Thankfully, the tests came back negative. And today, Caleb and his family are happy, healthy, and home! They’ll never forget how you helped them when they needed it most.

Little Autumn has a special message for you: “Thank you for letting us stay at Ronald McDonald House! It’s so nice that we could be there!”

Thank you for giving Caleb’s siblings all the care and support they needed at a challenging time.