February, 2015
Meet twins Rexton & Rocky of Glovertown
Tony Mulrooney, Nancy Sweetapple and their children (nine-year-old Tyrell and eleven-year-old Skyla) appreciate the convenience of staying at Ronald McDonald House following the premature birth of twins Rexton and Rocky.
Tony Mulrooney and Nancy Sweetapple of Glovertown were expecting twins on March 12th, but a few days before Christmas, Nancy knew something wasn’t quite right. She awoke Tony in the middle of night and said they needed to go to the hospital. After being assessed at the James Paton Memorial Hospital in Gander, Nancy was immediately airlifted to St. John’s where her twin baby boys were born on December 29th – 29 weeks premature. Rexton weighed 2 lbs, 15 oz. and Rocky weighed in at 3lbs, 3 oz.
It was then that Tony and Nancy were told that their twins would need to remain in hospital in St. John’s until about March 12th – the original expected delivery date.
Where would they stay and was there a place that would be suitable for them and their other two children – 9-year-old Tyrell and 11-year-old Skyla? That is when they heard about Ronald McDonald House.
“Coming to Ronald McDonald House relieved a lot of stress regarding what I would do with the rest of the family and how we would be close to Nancy and the boys,” Tony said. Tony continued that if they had to resort to a hotel they would have been financially strapped along with the stress of occupying their other two children.
“We don’t have to worry about that at Ronald McDonald House.” Tony added, “In addition to the homey feeling we get when they walk inside the House, staying at Ronald McDonald House gives us an opportunity to chat with other families that are going through similar experiences with a sick or injured child.”
Staying at Ronald McDonald House with their two older children also means that Tyrell and Skyla can be a part of the experience of welcoming the newest members of their family. The children visit their new brothers regularly and also spend time with other children staying at the House. For Nancy, a breastfeeding mother, knowing she is close to her babies is very important and comforting.
“Ronald McDonald House is truly a home-away- from-home. It is very important for me to be close to my newborns but at the same time being able to remain close to my family.” Nancy continued, “I can give my upmost attention to the twins without the worry of transportation, finding laundry facilities, accommodation and finding a way to entertain our older children. Newfoundland and Labrador is a large province and St. John’s is the only place that has the necessary equipment and specialists. The children of this province need their families with them so Ronald McDonald House has become extremely important to everyone.”
