06 Aug Hope and a Home Away from Home

How You Help Carson’s Family Stay Strong

Carson was only in preschool when he got sick. The diagnosis was shocking. “It’s a rare genetic disease,” his mom Andrea says. “There is no  cure. It is fatal.”

What do you do when you get such devastating news? Andrea and her husband Brian got to work searching for help. They left no stone unturned, researching hospitals and treatment options from coast to coast.

And they counted on friends like you. Through your gifts, you made it possible for Carson’s family to stay together while they fought for their  son’s future. Keep reading to see how you’re giving them hope.

A World Turned Upside Down

Carson had always been a happy, active child. But one day, his teachers noticed he seemed to be a little slower, and he wanted to sit down a  lot. Andrea took him to see the doctor. After multiple tests and scans, they learned that Carson had a rare disease affecting his brain and  nervous system.

He was declining fast, rapidly losing his ability to walk and talk.

Andrea and Brian searched for answers. Finally, they found a clinical trial  states away from their home. They raced to the hospital to be part of it.

At first, Carson and his family stayed at a hotel near the hospital. But  it was difficult to go to restaurants for every meal, and Andrea says that strangers stared at Carson in his wheelchair. When they got a room at a Ronald McDonald House®, everything changed.

Carson lights up around the other kids at the House. There, everyone is coping with  something, and Carson fits right in.

One time, he got to take part in a special music activity and strum a guitar. After struggling with so many things because of his condition,  being able to play music meant the world to him.

Andrea says it’s hard to battle illness so far from home, but being part of the clinical trial  gives them hope. Your support helps them stay there as long as they need to.

“I just want to focus on Carson and our family and stay strong,”  Andrea says.

You, through your gifts to a Ronald McDonald House, help her do just that. Thank you for making life-changing trips possible, and for giving families everything they need to focus on what’s most important … their child’s health.