"both my parents taught me about good will, and I have done well by their names" - Ani DiFranco, '32 Flavors'

 32 Flavors 

Read this letter first, please. My stuff's below it.

"Born without her left lung, eye, ear, jaw joint and missing bones throughout her face, our precious Elsie has fought through 29 reparative surgeries, the pain that went with the recovery and the feeling of being different.

Throughout it all, what comforts us as parents most is that she never had to fight alone, and neither did we. Our family, complete with Elsie's six brothers and sisters, has sought refuge within the walls of a Ronald McDonald House.

We appreciate the little things the House provides. It's a place where Elsie and her brothers and sisters can joke, laugh and simply be at "home." It's a place where we can take comfort in the words of other families suffering through unimaginable heartache as their children receive treatment. It's a place where we can offer comfort to others as we have been through similar ups and downs.

There are hundreds of small ways the Ronald McDonald House and its staff and volunteers have made this journey less lonely and difficult. Sometimes it only takes one small gesture - a smile or the smell of dinner being cooked in the big family kitchen - to help us get through after a hard day at the hospital.

Perhaps most important, it is a place where Elsie feels normal; where she can play outside on the playground ... where she can avoid stares of strangers ... where she can enjoy a meal with her family.

We never take these small things for granted. And, we thank you for helping to make sure that Elsie and our family did not have to fight this fight alone.

Sincerely,

Mary and Steve Corbett"

Late January, 1996. I was lying in a hospital bed in the Cleveland Clinic, sleeping continuously in my coma. My parents, Robert and Ellen, stayed near me around the clock. My mom was a nurse, but she took off time from her job. My dad was a teacher, but he called in his sick days for an extended period of time. My oldest brother took care of the house and the dog, back home, and so my parents didn't have to travel very much. They refused, however, to venture too far from the area that I was in.

I was in that hospital from January until March (and then I was back again April, but not for as long). Hotel rooms in downtown Cleveland cost at least $100 a night, if not more. My parents couldn't stay in the hospital with me. They had no friends in the area, and no one to turn to. So what were two loving, but not disgustingly rich, parents to do?

They stayed at the Ronald McDonald House. For a nominal fee, my parents got a room, a place to put their clean clothes, a shower, and safety. But it was more than that. They got a community. I can't imagine being alone and terrified about losing a child. They had each other, but neither had any experience, any advice. At the Ronald McDonald house, they met other parents who were fighting for the life of a child. They met Blitz's family. Blitz was a young boy who had a tumor. His parents and my parents connected - coffee, jokes, support. My parents talked to the people who worked there. These people were used to grief-stricken parents. They offered support - a lifeline.

I got better, but many of those families (including Blitz's) had children that did not get better. There were families that stayed at the Ronald McDonald house for months and months. They'd fly to the Clinic from all over the world and set up residence in this little house. And I honestly don't know what they would do without the Ronald McDonald house.

As most of you know, my financial situation has improved since my divorce. This year, I find myself able to donate, to give back. I give food to the local food pantry and money to the United Way. But more than anything, I give back to the Ronald McDonald house. I can see those families with a lifeline, with someone to be there for them, no matter what. As I read through the stories on the website, my eyes tear up.

I'm not asking you to donate. Believe me, I went through years where I had to scrape quarters together in order to buy milk - I know how it is. But if you are going to donate somewhere, please consider the Ronald McDonald house. I don't think anyone realizes what a wonderful place it is.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.