The cozy environment makes them forget they are even in the hospital. Rather, Grace and Caitlin feel right at home in Ronald McDonald House® Family Room CHOC at Mission.
Mom Caitlin first learned of Ronald McDonald House Family Room from a pediatrician at the hospital who directed her to find the room just down the hall from where her daughter was receiving treatment. Upon entering, she met a volunteer who smiled at her and welcomed her inside. Wafting in the air was the smell of coffee, and just out the window lay a picturesque view overlooking the cityscape. The room was different than anything she had ever seen before; no hospital in the past had any sort of sanctuary like this. The room came with everything she needed to decompress after a hectic day without even needing to leave the hospital. At the first opportunity, Caitlin brought her daughter, Grace, to experience the room for herself.
The Family Room’s environment had much the same effect on Grace as it did on her mother. “It makes me feel like it's really a family room. Like what it sounds like, right? It feels like a family. There's board games, there's also the coffee. It just makes me feel like there's a place I can relax and chill and have some personal times here.”
Grace and Caitlin found themselves returning as often as they could during their stay at the hospital. It was a well-needed break where they could wash off the day’s stress. They made important friendships with the other families in the Family Room that could understand what they were going through. The staff and volunteers made them feel welcome, putting every effort into making guests feel at ease.
Away from her regular hospital room, Grace felt right at home as she went through her treatment program. “It really brings me happiness. When I see the things and when I smell [the coffee], it feels like a separate place from the hospital.” Through the uncertainties and anxieties, Ronald McDonald House Family Room gave Grace and Caitlin the care they needed.
