A place where I can simply be his mom

Generally, all mothers experiencing a high-risk pregnancy in Saint Pierre et Miquelon, a piece of French territory off the coast of Newfoundland, are referred to St. John’s, NL more than 400 km away.  For Audrey Letournel, this meant being far from home and in another country for the birth of her first child. On June 28, 2018, Weelo, a beautiful happy baby boy was born.  It was for Audrey a feeling of joy like no other.  But it wasn’t all perfect. Weelo was born with complications with his intestines, and needed a lot of medical attention including a major abdominal surgery at just one-month old.

Being far from home, Audrey wondered how she would manage.  She knew limited English, had no family and she could not leave her little boy.   She was told it would be months before he would be discharged from the hospital. It wasn’t long before they were introduced to the programs and services of Ronald McDonald House.

A year has gone by and Weelo has spent his entire life in medical care.  Weelo has been tube fed since birth and is unable to go home until he can eat a full meal on his own.

“The first day that I got to take my son out of the hospital was Christmas Day 2018 when he almost 6 months old.  I brought him home with me to Ronald McDonald House. Every day since then, and because I am staying at Ronald McDonald House, the hospital has allowed Weelo to come home with me, to play, to cuddle, to celebrate special occasions like his first birthday, to help him take his first steps and simply be his mom.  My English has greatly improved and the support at Ronald McDonald House is an experience like no other. Without Ronald McDonald House and your support, Weelo’s entire life would have been quite different.”

– Audrey Letournel

Audrey has spent more than 500 nights at Ronald McDonald House