Healing Together With Caleb
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.
Questions about ways to give through a planned gift?
Contact Lacee O’Brien at 630-623-7048 or lacee.obrien@us.mcd.com