01 Nov From Scary to Sweet

The scariest month of the year has flown past all of us, but the scary realities our families face are ongoing. During October, we posted scary facts on Twitter to share what it’s like for the families who find themselves in need of our services and thought we’d share them here.

The short walk to Renown Regional Medical Center from the House allows families to spend as much time together as possible while their child receives treatment. Without the House, some families may have to spend less time with their child while they can travel back and forth from their hometown. Isn’t it a scary thought? Not seeing your sick child while they’re in the hospital alone? This is the scary reality our guests are faced before they stay with us.

Another scary reality is the cost of an out-of-town hospitalization. In 2017, 190 families like the Parrishes found themselves in need of a home-away-from-home while their child was in the hospital. Hotels can be expensive enough but adding hospital bills into the mix can turn a family’s situation into a nightmare. A previous adoption attempt was unsuccessful for the Parrish family, representing a $15,000 loss for the family, so they were in need of an affordable place to stay.

“We spent the entire drive down here pretty much calling churches and different things trying to find a place to stay,” said Kristin Parrish.

Without the Reno House, Kristin and her husband would have had to take care of their two-year old son in a hotel room while worrying about visiting their new addition and incurring added costs, but the House allowed them lodging just minutes away from Renown that meant both sons had proper care.

Families are also faced with a time crunch when their child is in the hospital. They hardly have time to make breakfast, lunch or dinner. Can you imagine how scary it would be to be so worried about your child’s health that you don’t have the energy or time to make food? Thanks to our Volunteer Chefs, our families are treated to a hot meal every night. Even if a guest is unable to make it back to the House for dinner time, they do not have to worry about preparing a meal after a long day.

While our families are faced with unknowns every day, the community helps us make a difference in lessening the burdens guests feel.

Thanks to you, in 2017 we were able to:

• Serve 190 families at the Reno House
• Serve 392 individuals with 1,568 appointments through the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile
• Award 97 northern Nevada high school seniors with four-year scholarships through the RMHC Northern Nevada scholarship
• Support 12 families with 33 trips through the Travel-for-Treatment Program
• Serve 121 families and 5,201 individuals in the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Renown Children’s Hospital
• Serve a total of 812 families to #KeepFamiliesClose

Every donation helps make the difference for those in need of the Reno Ronald McDonald House and its programs. We are able to support families because of our supporters and we are so thankful for each and every person who pitches in. Learn how you can make things change from scary to sweet by joining the Power of $10.