On April 15, 2026, our lives changed forever when we welcomed our daughter, Alivia Eleanor, into the world.
Alivia was born almost three weeks early by C-section after I developed preeclampsia and our doctors were concerned about her growth. She was born with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), weighing just 5 pounds 6 ounces. We knew she would need some extra attention, but we never imagined how quickly our world would change.
When Alivia was just two days old, she began having trouble breathing. What we thought might be a temporary complication quickly became something much more serious. Alivia was transferred to the NICU, where we learned that our tiny daughter had been born with pneumonia.
Suddenly, we weren’t simply new parents learning how to care for our newborn. We were NICU parents, spending our days beside our daughter’s incubator and hoping and praying that she would get stronger.
Because we were at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, a social worker came to speak with us as we were preparing to be discharged from the postpartum unit. We were still facing the reality that our daughter would remain in the hospital while we would no longer have a hospital room to stay in.
Then we were given information about the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio.
We lived about two and a half hours away, and financially, there was simply no way we could afford to drive back and forth every single day while Alivia was in the NICU. We needed somewhere close enough to be with our daughter every day, and the Ronald McDonald House gave us exactly that.
It became our home during one of the most frightening and uncertain times of our lives. Instead of worrying about how we were going to afford gas, meals, and a place to sleep, we could focus on what mattered most: being there for Alivia.
We were able to wake up close to our daughter, spend our days with her, and return to a safe place at night. The Ronald McDonald House gave us something that we desperately needed during those days peace of mind.
On April 24, 2026, after a week in the NICU, Alivia was finally discharged from the hospital. We were able to bring our beautiful baby girl home. That moment will forever be one of the happiest moments of our lives.
But our gratitude for the Ronald McDonald House goes far beyond the week we spent there.
There is something incredibly special about knowing that the organization that gave our family a place to stay during one of the hardest weeks of our lives had actually been part of our story long before Alivia was ever born.
Nevin and I were both NICU babies ourselves. And in 2003, when I was born, the Ronald McDonald House housed my own family.
Twenty-three years later, I found myself standing in a NICU with my own daughter, and the same organization was there to help my family again.
It is difficult to put into words what that means to us. The Ronald McDonald House wasn’t just a place for us to sleep. It was a place where we could breathe. A place where we didn’t have to worry about making a two-and-a-half-hour drive home after spending the day beside our sick baby. A place that allowed us to be parents when our daughter needed us most.
We will forever be grateful for the kindness, comfort, meals, shelter, and support that were given to our family during a time when we needed it more than we could ever express.
Alivia is now home, healthy, growing, and bringing more joy into our lives every single day. And every time we look at her, we will remember the people and organizations that helped us get through the days when we weren’t sure what the next day would bring.
Thank you, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio, for giving our family a home when we couldn’t be home. Thank you for being there for us in 2026 and for being there for my family all those years ago in 2003. Our family will forever carry that kindness with us.
From one NICU baby to another, and from one generation of our family to the next thank you.
Sincerely,
The McGilton’s