Our journey began February 2010.
My daughter, Allison was diagnosed with cancer in Shreveport, LA and we were immediately sent to Memphis for treatment. Two days later doctors confirmed the devastating news that Allison had Stage IV Neuroblastoma. After a few weeks at the hospital, we moved to Ronald McDonald House® of Memphis.
Ronald McDonald House® was warm and inviting, as were the staff and other families, and after a few weeks we felt like we had found a place to call HOME for the next eight months.
Coming from a small town of 700 people who always look after one another, we loved that Ronald McDonald House® gave us that same feeling.
The daily activities, meals together, common meeting places and endlessly kind and wonderful volunteers allowed Alli and me to move beyond our discomforts and find the comforts of home in our “home-away-from-home”.
When you battle childhood cancer you feel helpless and long for a place to call home and that is what Ronald McDonald House® became for us. The staff, volunteers and families provided a rich source of encouragement, wisdom, entertainment and faith. They are now a part of who we are.
- Paula (Alli’s Mom)