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A True Blessing

September 30, 2015
The Villareal Family, Photos courtesy of Marcy Harris Photography

The Villareal Family, Photos courtesy of Marcy Harris Photography

Elena and her husband, Milan, were living in Russia, where they met, when they had their first daughter, Josephine. At 4 months old, the Villareals noticed something was wrong with Josephine, so they went to the pediatrician. The doctor told Elena and Milan their daughter had Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 (SMA). In 2011, the Villareals decided to move to the United States, where there was more research being done for Spinal Muscular Atrophy. There is no cure for SMA and the average life expectancy is 1-2 years old. Josephine passed away at 15 months in May 2012.

Elena and Milan were devastated and were trying to move on with their lives. In 2014, they found out they were expecting a baby. 75% of pregnancies after having a child with SMA are healthy pregnancies, but the Villareals had their daughter, Evelyn, tested for SMA. She tested positive for SMA Type 1, the same type her sister, Josephine, was diagnosed with, and Elena and Milan were devastated. They began research to see what they could do to help their sweet baby girl and found the Gene Therapy Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. So they moved from Texas to Columbus for Evelyn to be treated in the Gene Therapy Program. Evelyn was given a one-time treatment providing nerves in her spinal cord, the nerves she is missing. She is sitting up, crawling, holding her head up-all miraculous for babies with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Looking at her, you would never know her diagnosis and the journey the Villareals have gone through for their daughters.
The Villareals have stayed with us at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House since February  for Evelyn’s treatment. Elena, Evelyn’s mother, said “we’re very blessed and not in distress because of this Ronald McDonald House. We’ve been able to minister to others and it has been a place of joy to us. It has been therapeutic to us to be at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House. To take the extra stressors and not worry about them to focus on your child – it’s been such a relief. A lot of people are going through difficult times, and because of RMHC, you don’t feel like you are alone.”
Our volunteers and staff have loved meeting and getting to know this family and watching Evelyn’s milestones. We wish them nothing but happiness.They know what a miracle their daughter is, and we cannot wait to see her grow!

Lessons Learned

August 19, 2015

By Aren Carmen

Sebastian is just one of the families Aren was able to interact with this summer during his internship

I didn’t know what I was getting myself into the first time I stepped through the doors of Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio. I had heard the stories, the praise, the positivity that surrounds the house and their mission. I was nervous, painfully so. What could I do to help with something so big, so grand, so important? The first tour did nothing to quell my anxiety as we walked past room after room and I tried my best to soak up every statistic that was thrown at me. From play areas to family rooms, kitchens to offices, I was in awe. The scale of the house baffled me, the passion of the staff inspired me, but the families were what made everything fall into place. From day one I knew that this was not going to be any old internship.

Every time I walk through the doors now, it’s not anxiety I feel, it’s motivation. There’s an aura in the house, the offices, the staff themselves that drives everyone further. Pushes them a little harder to do anything and everything they can to support the families that need the help we provide. This summer I learned what a labor of love truly was. The staff and volunteers that keep the House up and running taught me that in their daily actions. They don’t seek praise, they don’t want anything but to see a family through the hardest times of their lives and finally out that door to get back to their homes happily. The families taught me what it meant to be gracious and strong in the face of tribulation. Despite the situations that led them to the Columbus Ronald McDonald House, they stayed optimistic, friendly, and supportive of each other. I saw the power that a sense of community has in combating despair and fear. I watched families check in, weathered and drained. I watched them check out, bright with life and beyond thankful. I heard stories that tore my heart in two and met kids that I never wanted to stop talking to. I spoke to people that challenged my thinking and others that redefined words like love, courage, and strength.

One of the first things that happened to me when I got the news that I would be working at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio was a conversation with a friend who told me about the impact RMHC made on his family when his brother was born. He said that they didn’t know what they would’ve done had it not been for RMHC. It took being a part of the reality of the mission to realize the gravity of his words. When someone talks about the impact that the House makes, it doesn’t stop at the bed they sleep in, or the food they eat. It’s in everything that you experience here. The families, the staff, the support, the feeling of community, the love that you sense in everything that is done here, it all culminates in a truly humbling and powerful experience that words could never capture. The memory that I will hold most tightly to was watching a family I saw check in early into my time here walk out, both children by their side holding massive over-sized stuffed kangaroos, as they thanked the volunteers at the front desk, thanked any staff that was close enough to be thanked, and took one last look at the House that they had needed so dearly. There is so much that can be said for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio, but none of those words embody what Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio truly is. I’m beyond thankful I had the chance to be even a small part of the mission, to experience what this House means to the families it serves, and to have met the people that spend their days focused on helping others through trials that most could not even imagine. The Ronald McDonald House has given me a truly meaningful experience, one that I will never forget.


How Did I End Up Here?

April 15, 2015

By Abby Brumme

Abby with Jenna, one of the BGSU Dance Marathon miracle children

Abby with Jenna, one of the BGSU Dance Marathon miracle children

“As we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own lives and our own happiness.” –Dieter F. Uchtdorf. If you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was pretty much always that I was going to be a teacher, an actress, or ballerina, but we all know how that goes. If you asked me what I was going to do for my career when I started college, I would have again said that I was going to be a teacher. Here I am at my desk at RMHC of Central Ohio as the Development Associate with a Communications degree and I couldn’t be happier.

How did I end up here? Miracles. Miracles like Jenna, Brandt, Jackson, Lyndon, Robert, Carly, Dylan and so many more. I was lucky enough to get to know these little miracles through Dance Marathon, which raised money for the local children’s hospital at BGSU and I knew immediately that my career path was going to be changing. I met children who spent the beginning of their lives in the hospital, children who have beat all the odds, children who have gone to more doctors’ appointments in their short lives than most people will ever have to, but most importantly children who never wiped the smile off their faces or gave up hope no matter what they were going through. Spending time with these miracle children led me realize that my path in life was going to change and for the better.

Never in a million years would I have thought that I would have graduated college and within weeks begin working for such a rewarding organization. Every day at work I see new miracles coming through our doors who are also working to beat the odds against them. Not only do I see the many miracles who stay here at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House, but I also see countless volunteers, community members, organizations and so many others who selflessly give to create a welcoming home-away-from-home for the many families who stay with us. It’s true what the quote says–by losing myself in the service of others I found my path and my happiness.


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© RMHC The following trademarks used herein are owned by McDonald's Corporation and its affiliates; McDonald's, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Ronald McDonald House Charities Logo, RMHC, Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile. RMHC of Central Ohio is recognized as a public charity under Internal Revenue Code section 509(a) and has 501(c)(3) status. Donations to RMHC of Central Ohio are deductible. Donors should consult their tax advisor for questions regarding deductibility. The RMHC EIN is 31-0890152. A copy of the RMHC determination letter is available upon request. Ronald McDonald House Charities Central Ohio 711 E. Livingston Ave, Columbus, OH 43205 614-227-3700 : rmhccommunications@rmhc-centralohio.org