Healing Together With Caleb

Caleb Kinnaird is a healthy and active child following his heart transplant surgery.

Caleb Kinnaird is a healthy and active child following his heart transplant surgery.

Before Katie Kinnaird's son Caleb was born, she and her family knew that he would need a heart transplant. But they were still unprepared for everything that meant. Caleb had to be monitored in the hospital for months while he waited for his new heart. The Kinnaird family lived an hour away from the hospital and wondered how they would manage.

Thankfully, just days after bringing Caleb to the hospital, the Kinnairds were given the opportunity to stay at Ronald McDonald House.

"We are so grateful to Ronald McDonald House Charities for keeping our family together when we needed each other most," Katie says.

A Comforting Touch
Staying at the House meant they could be with Caleb throughout his stay in the hospital. It also meant that the family could play together in the House's playroom, take wagon rides and celebrate the small strides Caleb made in his physical therapy sessions.

Because of RMHC, the Kinnairds were surrounded by people who understood that a vital part of Caleb's treatment was having his family with him.

"I cannot even imagine how much harder Caleb's hospitalization would have been if his older brother, Jonah, hadn't been with us through it all," Katie says.

"Thanks to the comfort, care and support of Ronald McDonald House, Caleb and Jonah played together, kept each other laughing and stayed very close."

The Road to Recovery
"We are so grateful to be able to say that Caleb is healthy," Katie says.

He has a strong heart, and his doctors have taken him off high doses of steroids. Caleb is now able to do the things that other kids his age enjoy, such as swimming, riding bikes with his brother and playing in the dirt.

"We will never forget the loving ‘home away from home' Ronald McDonald House provided."

Learn More
Discover how you can provide stability and hope to families like the Kinnairds when they need it most. Contact Lacee O’Brien at 630-623-7048 or lacee.obrien@us.mcd.com to discuss your giving options.

A charitable bequest is one or two sentences in your will or living trust that leave to RMHC a specific item, an amount of money, a gift contingent upon certain events or a percentage of your estate.

an individual or organization designated to receive benefits or funds under a will or other contract, such as an insurance policy, trust or retirement plan

"I give to RMHC, a nonprofit corporation currently located at 110 N Carpenter St Chicago, IL 60607, or its successor thereto, ______________ [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose."

able to be changed or cancelled

A revocable living trust is set up during your lifetime and can be revoked at any time before death. They allow assets held in the trust to pass directly to beneficiaries without probate court proceedings and can also reduce federal estate taxes.

cannot be changed or cancelled

tax on gifts generally paid by the person making the gift rather than the recipient

the original value of an asset, such as stock, before its appreciation or depreciation

the growth in value of an asset like stock or real estate since the original purchase

the price a willing buyer and willing seller can agree on

The person receiving the gift annuity payments.

the part of an estate left after debts, taxes and specific bequests have been paid

a written and properly witnessed legal change to a will

the person named in a will to manage the estate, collect the property, pay any debt, and distribute property according to the will

A donor advised fund is an account that you set up but which is managed by a nonprofit organization. You contribute to the account, which grows tax-free. You can recommend how much (and how often) you want to distribute money from that fund to RMHC or other charities. You cannot direct the gifts.

An endowed gift can create a new endowment or add to an existing endowment. The principal of the endowment is invested and a portion of the principal’s earnings are used each year to support our mission.

Tax on the growth in value of an asset—such as real estate or stock—since its original purchase.

Securities, real estate or any other property having a fair market value greater than its original purchase price.

Real estate can be a personal residence, vacation home, timeshare property, farm, commercial property or undeveloped land.

You give assets to a trust that pays our organization set payments for a number of years, which you choose. The longer the length of time, the better the potential tax savings to you. When the term is up, the remaining trust assets go to you, your family or other beneficiaries you select. This is an excellent way to transfer property to family members at a minimal cost.

You fund this type of trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. You can also make additional gifts; each one also qualifies for a tax deduction. The trust pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to RMHC as a lump sum.

You fund this trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. Each year the trust pays you or another named individual the same dollar amount you choose at the start. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to RMHC as a lump sum.

A beneficiary designation clearly identifies how specific assets will be distributed after your death.

A charitable gift annuity involves a simple contract between you and RMHC where you agree to make a gift to RMHC and we, in return, agree to pay you (and someone else, if you choose) a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life.

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