Ronald McDonald House Charities^® Southwestern Ontario About Us

Ronald McDonald House SWO is such a gift

Growing up, my Dad was actively involved in the RMHC-SWO Golf Classic. 

When I volunteered at the golf tournament during my high school years, I never knew that my husband and I would one day need the services this event supported when our identical twin boys Palmer and Jaxxon were born prematurely.

Early in my pregnancy, I was diagnosed with Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS), which is a rare and serious condition that affects how the twins were growing in the womb.  At twenty weeks, three days gestation, I had a laser ablation surgery to give my babies the best possible chance of growth.


 

In May of 2021, my husband and I were in indescribable shock when our twins were born 10 weeks early… Jaxxon, without a heartbeat. 

Both of my little boys were stabilized in NICU and that was the beginning of our long journey to bring them home.  As I recovered from the birth, the nurses in the mother-baby unit talked to us about the Ronald McDonald House as our home in Oxford County was over an hour way.  At first, we brushed off the possibility of staying at the house, thinking we did not need it.  I am so thankful we did though as we needed it more than we knew.
 

When I first walked through the front doors, I was thankful but stressed and overwhelmed, still coming to terms with what we had just been through.  Being able to have a comfortable place to sleep and a warm cooked meal, is a feeling I will never forget.  I did not realize how much I needed that! 

                           
Nor did I realize the benefit of the community that would surround us as we were able to talk to other parents and caregivers who were also going through something similar.  Being a parent to sick children is tough and can feel very lonely at times.  Having other families, and staff, to talk to allows you to better cope with everything that is happening.
 

RMHC-SWO is such a gift.  You do not realize how much you need the services until you are receiving them.  Being able to slip away from the stress of the NICU and go to the house for a few minutes, allows your body and mind to reset.  If you cannot sleep in the middle of the night, you’re right there to go sit beside your child.  After a total of 79 nights in the NICU, both Palmer and Jaxxon are happy and healthy boys who will be turning 2 this May. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

At a time when our family needed it the most, you were there for us, providing us with a way to ensure that we were taking care of ourselves, at a time when our babies were the only things on our minds.