June 29, 2016

No Mission Impossible for this Ethan Hunt

Lori and Rick Hunt’s 15 year-old son, Ethan, was born with a heart defect and has Down syndrome.  Ethan is followed closely by doctors in St. John’s.  The Marystown couple says Ronald McDonald House has made it possible for them to stay close by or with Ethan during each visit.

Lori and Rick Hunt’s 15-year-old son Ethan was born with a heart defect.  He also has Down syndrome.

“Ethan had his first heart surgery in Halifax when he was only six weeks old. He has other conditions associated with his Down syndrome.  He went back to Halifax again three or four years ago for another heart surgery.” said Rick.

Ethan is followed closely by doctors at the Janeway Children’s Hospital.  The Hunts have stayed at Ronald McDonald House in St. John’s four times since the house opened in 2012.

“You don’t feel out of place at all. Everybody that’s staying there has issues with their child, so you grow together and you meet friends. Some of them have become long lasting friends.” said Rick

“Sometimes when you have a child in the hospital and you are there by yourself, it’s nice to have someone to talk to,” said Lori.

Rick said he is grateful to those that come to Ronald McDonald House and prepare meals for the families and donate their time to entertain the families.

“During one of our stays at Ronald McDonald House it was St. Patrick’s Day. There was a band there from the Cape Shore. They had a guitar, the accordion and ukulele and they did an afternoon show for the families. Ethan was so excited; he went over, hauled up a chair and sat down with them.  There was a toy drum there with two little sticks. He wanted to play with them.  I asked him to come back, but the musician said ‘let him play’.  Ethan got up and he step danced for them. He did it all – it was great. We greatly appreciate his kind gesture towards our son. The staff as well as the volunteers make a stay at Ronald McDonald House a good experience,” said Rick

Ethan will need more heart surgery sometime in the future.  Rick and Lori said that the volunteers and staff at Ronald McDonald House have made their stays in St. John’s as comfortable as possible and for that they are extremely grateful.

The Hunt family encourages people to support Ronald McDonald House in whatever way they can.

“Without Ronald McDonald House, it would have been really tough on our family. We are very grateful,” Rick said.