August 7, 2013

Meet Kaydee and Her Family from Stephenville

Andy, Shelly and 2 year old Kaydee McIssac were guests of Ronald McDonald House in the fall of 2012 when their new baby girl was born prematurely. Upon returning home to Stephenville, they noticed that something was wrong with Kaydee. It was discovered that Kaydee had a brain tumour and would need immediate attention in St. John’s.

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR…

I want you to imagine something for me. I want you to picture yourself coming home from a long week of work. It’s Friday afternoon, and you plop down on the couch, in front of the TV, just to relax for a minute. Just when rest starts to set in…. the phone rings! It is your wife! She says, “Hurry, you have to come quick. They are admitting our child in the hospital!” So you jump up and rush to the hospital. The doctor looks at you and your spouse and says, “Sorry sir, we have to send your child to a better centre and admit her for a minimum of two weeks. We think she is severely malnourished.” You cannot stand the thought of your child being in a hospital, much less out of town. So to be by her side, you apply for two weeks of annual leave from your place of employment.

The two weeks pass and your child hasn’t improved much. Actually her condition gets worse! You are now supposed to be back to work, but the doctor wants to run a few more tests on your child. So he brings your child downstairs. And in ten minutes he is back! He looks at you and says, “I have news… and it isn’t good! Your child has a brain tumor!” So after a hard, stressful two weeks in the hospital your whole world is turned upside down in ten minutes! You are now on stress leave from work, making 55% of your income, your wife is self-employed and cannot work at all! The doctor tells you that if this can be treated, it may take up to a year and a half! Your other child is still home in Stephenville, with the babysitters you can’t afford to pay, in your home that you can no longer afford to keep! After all, there is no way you can afford to keep up a house in Stephenville, and pay the cost of living somewhere else!

Which brings me back to my first statement – Ronald McDonald House Newfoundland and Labrador? Your saviour…. your home away from home… your breath of fresh air, in a world spinning out of control…. emotionally and financially! After all the emotional stress of having a child where the illness could be terminal, who needs the stress of losing your house, and not having a home to return too! With a facility like the Ronald McDonald House, losing your home is no longer a reality! It is one very big stress eliminated from a horrible situation!! It is a great facility, which is much needed for thousands of people in the exact situation, I am in!! It provides you with a private room, communal fridge, freezer, and pantry, where food is always available to eat! There are organizations, businesses, and other groups cooking wonderful meals 2-3 times a week! It is clean, the staff and management are excellent, and the volunteers exceptional! It is a place of shelter. It is a place of safety, but most important of all … it is a place of necessity!

So, on behalf of my family, I would like to extend a sincere thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, to everyone who has supported and continues to support Ronald McDonald House!

By Ronald McDonald House Newfoundland and Labrador

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