An uncle and brother remember Ronald McDonald House® as a source of strength and joy for their family.
When Holly was diagnosed with leukemia, her uncle Adrian took the two-and-a-half-hour drive nearly every day from Los Angeles County to Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). After several long journeys, a social worker at the hospital referred them to Ronald McDonald House® Orange County. The two of them swiftly acclimated to their new home away from home. Holly took comfort knowing she was well-loved and cared for at RMHOC...and she wasn’t the only one.
As Holly’s primary caretaker during her treatment, Adrian breathed easier at RMHOC. Not only did they take care of his niece, but they also cared for him. “Being at the Ronald McDonald House helped me give Holly the care she needed,” Adrian recounted. “We didn’t know that it would be like that—that Ronald McDonald House not only takes care of the child taking treatment or the parent or the two parents depending on the situation, but in our case, in some of the other families we got to meet, it was the families.”
Holly’s younger brother, Tyler, also holds fond memories of visiting RMHOC. He remembers the friends he made, the games he played with his sister, and the feelings of support and love he felt. Undoubtedly, the volunteers and donors at RMHOC continue to leave their mark. “Just spend a day there,” Tyler said. “Just go and see the work that they do, in and out. Around the clock, they take care of everyone in the House...I think to really understand [what Ronald McDonald House does], you just have to see what they’re doing.”
Her uncle attributes the positive atmosphere of RMHOC as a key factor in Holly’s recovery, and Holly and Tyler always wish to make a return visit even as young adults. The support their family received from everyone they met at RMHOC helped them find the strength within themselves to strive forward—a strength they carry to this day.
