October 10, 2017

Meet Christian Hatcher and His Family from Appleton

It is hard to put into words how parents feel when their child has been diagnosed with Leukemia. And for families who don’t live close to the care and resources they need, there is an added stress caused by distance. RMHC gives families with a sick child what they need most – each other.  

At the tender age of eight, Christian Hatcher of Appleton was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a form of cancer in which the bone marrow makes abnormal cells. The Hatcher family, Christian, parents Sharon and Victor, and younger brother Colin, were now faced with a challenging road ahead – one filled with long drives, hospital stays, and chemotherapy treatments.  This was something that no parents can prepare for. They worried about numerous things – even the simple things, like where they would stay. Shortly after they arrived in St. John’s they were introduced to the programs and services of Ronald McDonald House Charities Newfoundland and Labrador.

“When we arrived in St. John’s we quickly realized that we needed a place to stay that was close to the hospital and a place for our younger son to stay. Our main goal was to keep our little family together. We checked into Ronald McDonald House and for three and half months it was our home. It kept us close to our sick child and gave our other son, Colin, a sense of security that he was staying with his mom, dad and brother,” –Sharon Hatcher

Each day Christian’s treatments were long, but Christian and his brother looked forward to the games room and movie room at Ronald McDonald House..

“The Home for Dinner Program was amazing.  It was one less thing that we had to think about. You would come home to a cooked meal and not worry about cooking yourself. The treats that were baked or the breakfast sandwiches each day were awesome to grab in the morning.  In the evening, I would grab a treat with my coffee after returning from a long day at the hospital. Both Christian and Colin loved their quilts, the games room and the movie room. But most of all, they both loved magic room when we got to leave.” –Sharon Hatcher

While Christian’s journey is far from over, with treatments expected to continue for some time, the Hatcher Family continues to find strength at RMHC.

“Ronald McDonald House had such a positive impact on our family.  It kept my family together. Without it our family would have been separated because we couldn’t afford to stay at a hotel for that length of time. It truly was our home away from home. And we are so thankful that it is there for families to use. It made our fighting this cancer with Christian a whole lot easier. Thank you to all the staff, volunteers and sponsors for providing this service to families.” –Sharon Hatcher