Our first trip to Jackson to see Gray was wonderful, exciting, emotional, hard... the list goes on and on. But it was made so much better by this place...
Not only was it a place to stay at little to no cost, most importantly, it was a place filled with kindness, hope, and understanding.
When we checked in, we were shown to our room. It was simple, nothing fancy, no TV's or internet, but exactly what we needed. A comfy bed to sleep in and a bathroom. There were shared kitchens with snacks and drinks and food for our use and a few community play/living/dining rooms. Some dinners, and often Sunday breakfast was brought in and made by volunteers. The meals not only helped our pocketbook (having a baby in a NICU 160 miles away adds up real quick), but our spirits. It really is amazing what a good meal can do. It gave us a chance to relax, refuel, and chat.
Each day we completed a daily chore in exchange for staying. Shedrick and I worked together to get it done and be on our way to the NICU.
Everyone staying at the Ronald McDonald House had a baby/child at the hospital. They understood what it was like. Questions like, "How's are you?" or "How's the baby?" were used often and they weren't just thrown around nonchalantly, they were genuine.
The day it was discovered that Gray had the infection in his intestines, we returned to the Ronald McDonald house and went to the community living room to try to relax a bit. Some of the other ladies staying were making mini picture frames in the dining room and asked if I'd like to join. I did. It was just what I needed... something fun... a distraction, even if it was only for 15 minutes, to take my mind off things. Here is my frame they helped me create. It currently resides on Gray's nursery door.
We were able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House 4 weekends out of the 8 that Gray was in the NICU. It's difficult to describe in words what the Ronald McDonald House provided for us. It's an amazingly wonderful place and organization. In the future, Gray will know about them, what they did for us, and we plan to give back to them as a family.
This is just an incredible blog - it gives me chills. How wonderful that God had it in his plan for you and Shedrick to stay at this place surrounded by parents going through similar situations. I love the picture frame, it is very cute. Simon & I too, plan to contribute to the Aspirus NICU for everything they have done for our family. I love reading your blogs Emma :)
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