RMH

With the news that we're on the wait list for transfer to St. Thomas, we've been preparing ourselves to move home. Although the support we review at home can't be matched, we feel so blessed for our experience at the Ronald McDonald House. There have only been 3 nights in the last 16 that a dinner hasn't been provided (holiday weekend) and we're always taken care of! It's amazing that after an exhausting or stressful day a group of generous people are waiting to serve you. It will be bittersweet to leave!

Today the house hosted a event for "Hannah's Mailbox". Parents who have lost children while staying at the RHM house came for a service that focused on the children who died in the last year. The group was started when a young girl dying of cancer (who was staying at the house) would write notes and put them in a flower planter and the house manager began answering them. When Hannah died, a mailbox was put in the backyard of the RMH to remember her. This is the ninth year the service has been held and the families who have lost children are given miniature mailboxes that contain words of encouragement written by other families who have lost children.

My brother was one of the plumbers who worked on this kitchen!

I was sitting in the main room having coffee (as no food or drink can be in the rooms) and I watched the service (through tears) and afterwards a couple with two young boys came and sat with me. I began talking with the woman who's daughter, Riley, died 5 years ago of Leukemia (age 3). She stayed at the RMH for 4 months (while pregnant with her second child) and comes to the Hannah's mailbox celebration every year.

She was really easy to talk to and I felt comfortable telling her about Michael and John. We talked about our hospital experiences and I showed off pictures of Allison. We chatted for about half an hour about losing children, taking tons of pictures, and how fast life can change. As she was leaving, I couldn't help myself from asking her, "When someone asks how many children you have, what do you say?" I was happy when she said 3.