By Regina Schwaderer
When I saw the post regarding the GoFundMe campaign for Henry the House Dog, it struck my heart deeply and I knew I needed to do everything possible to help make this happen for the House and its visitors.
I have been a guest at the House while my son was in ICU following brain surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. While my stay was very short (2 days), the realization that many are there for so long at times is there. In my 2 short days the magic of its existence was felt.
After my son’s surgery, once we received the full course of what was to take place to get him healthy; we had to make the difficult decision to rehome the dogs we had at the time. We were going to be gone almost all of the next 7 months as all of his chemotherapy required him to be inpatient for stays of 3 weeks at a time. This was very hard on me as they are just as important to me as my kids. When we were home, not having happy tails greeting me at the door made home not seem like home. Our highlight at that time was an occasional 4-legged visitor in the lobby of the hospital when we were inpatient. My son always lit up when he saw the dog even though I knew he wasn’t feeling the greatest, and I felt some of my heaviness lift too.
Ronald McDonald House already does so much too feel like home away from home for so many, but there is one thing missing: a dog. To myself and many families, a house isn’t a home without a dog (in my case 2 or 3). Henry will fill this spot and bring so much joy to so many.
My experience of staying at the House, drives me to do for the House. I joined the Cardinal Health Committee dedicated to the Ronald McDonald House to become more active in doing things for them. I am looking forward to do whatever I can to bring the committee together and bring Henry home! Here’s to hoping to meet Henry soon!