26 Feb You Helped Baby Cordelia Defy the Odds

A Devastating Diagnosis

Rachel was pregnant with Cordelia when she learned her baby’s heart wasn’t working properly. Cordelia would need to have a heart transplant — if she even survived.

Then came another devastating blow. The hospital near their home didn’t perform heart transplants. The closest hospital that could help a baby that small was out of state. Rachel would have to travel to give birth far from home, and stay there for as long as it took for Cordelia to get a new heart.

That’s when Cordelia’s family found out they had a friend on their side — you. Because you give, they had a place to stay at a Ronald McDonald House®, right by the hospital, for as long they needed. With hearts full of hope, they made the trip.

Soon after, Cordelia was born. While she fought for her life in the neonatal intensive care unit, Rachel stayed just minutes away at the House. There, she didn’t have to worry about food, laundry, finding a place to park — or anything but visiting her sick baby.

Rachel went to the hospital every day to be with Cordelia. While she was grateful for the nurses and their expert care, there was no substitute for a mother’s touch.

“It helps keep Cordelia calm,” Rachel explains. “If she gets stressed and no one can comfort her, her heart rate goes higher and higher.”

For the next few weeks, doctors treated Cordelia’s condition with medicine. Meanwhile, Rachel showered her baby with love and care. Then, the doctors ran a test to see how Cordelia’s heart was functioning. They made a thrilling discovery. Her heart was functioning normally.

“They said she could go home without a transplant, which is the most amazing news we’ve ever heard,” Rachel says.

That’s why Rachel wants you to know: “You have no idea how much you’re helping families. It’s really invaluable to be able to stay at this House. It was such a relief to know that Cordelia was here and she had a chance.”

When you give, you make it possible for children like Cordelia to get the lifesaving care they can’t get anywhere else. What an amazing difference you make! Thank you.