By Vicki Chappelear, Family Service Manager

Pierced ears.  Almost every little girl dreams of getting her ears pierced, I know I did!  It’s hard to believe that such a common rite of passage for most girls would be considered dangerous to your health. But for one little girl I know, this has been the case.

This precious little girl, with a contagious laugh, has been fighting cancer. And I mean fighting with everything she’s got. She and her family have been guests at the House for a long period of time. We have walked this battle with her through the good days and the bad days—through puffy cheeks and the loss of hair, and the joy of seeing her get to go home. These are the kids we will always remember!

She has a remarkable family. We’ve gotten to know different members of her family as they would come to visit during her long hospital stay and subsequent release to our isolation suite here at the House. She has an incredible mom who has been with her every step of the way. Her mother has been transparent and has not been afraid to share her feelings with us openly and honestly. It’s as if we have become family, too. That’s what happens when you walk through such a life-altering experience with someone. You have a bond that’s indescribable and it’s priceless.

It so warms my heart to see these kids come back to visit us with good reports! This spunky little girl, who is now sporting her returning dark, curly hair, was so excited to receive a list from the doctor of things she’s allowed to do now: go to see a movie, go to the library and yes, even get her ears pierced!

By Carly Damman, Community Partnerships Associate

This past weekend, 180 Ohio University students gathered together in the Baker University Center ballroom on campus to dance for 12 hours straight. Students weren’t just dancing for the fun of it. They were dancing for the kids and families that spend far more than 12 hours here at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House.

They were dancing for the single mom who has a cancer-stricken young son in the hospital. For the parents who have to spend months apart from each other, one taking care of their ill child and the other at home working to keep up with medical expenses. Dancing for the new parents gripped by fear because their twin girls were born early and are struggling to breathe.

In the midst of difficult times, the Ronald McDonald House is there as an escape for these families, providing them with a free place to stay, a hot shower, a comfortable bed and a home-cooked meal prepared by the loving hands of our volunteers.

In the midst of the stress and busyness of college life, the students of BobcaThon Dance Marathon were hard at work fundraising, hosting on-campus events and preparing for February 13th, the day they would stand on their feet for RMHC families.

During the 12th hour of Saturday’s dance marathon, the executive team stood on stage, exhausted yet excited, to announce the final fundraising total: $40,473.01 for RMHC families. 404 additional nights of rest for RMHC families! Needless to say, the 2nd Annual BobcaThon Dance Marathon was hugely successful but I think there’s a bigger story to tell here.

Big kids helping little kids. Big kids DO have the power to change the world. Big kids DO care about giving back. Big kids ARE driven, goal oriented, smart and passionate. We live in a world where tragedy, cruelty, hate, stereotypes and pressure to perform cloud our view of “big kids”. Every day, I have the privilege of experiencing how big kids are helping little kids. College students helping the kids staying at RMHC of Central Ohio. A generation helping a future generation.

BobcaThon isn’t just a dance marathon that raises money for the Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio. It’s a display of big kids helping little kids. It makes me excited for the future, knowing that a group of empowered, driven and passionate big kids can change the lives of all the little kids who know nothing different than to keep fighting.

These big kids WILL change the world!

By Lindsey Beggin, Volunteer

I will be honest and tell you that my reasons for volunteering at this House in the first place were purely selfish. I was completely broken when I showed up for my first volunteer shift, so much, in fact, that I almost left in tears before I hit the door. A month earlier my brother broke his neck in the ocean, was life-flighted to the hospital, hooked up to a ventilator and deemed a quadriplegic. That following month was trying on my family and I as we all balanced visiting Austin in Chicago and working back home. For the next six months, Ronald McDonald Houses were our homes away from home when we visited, and my mother’s while she wasn’t staying with my brother in the hospital. RMHC gave my family so much more than just a place to eat and sleep during the scariest times of our lives, they gave us hope and such a loving community of support.

No matter how much they change, this house, these walls, and these people will always be my home away from home. I will never be able to articulate even a fraction of the impact this House has had on my life. Here in Columbus I’ve met some of the strongest, most beautiful people and I’ve seen unexpected corners of the community come together for the greater good. I’ll never be able to repay my debt to this House. I may have been broken that afternoon I first walked through those doors, but piece by piece this House helped me put myself back together again.

By Ryan Wilkins

This time of year makes my heart warm. I’m not totally sure what it is that makes me so glad. Nostalgia? A sense of gratitude? A reminder of what is most important in the world? Whatever the reason, I become full of holiday cheer. Maybe it’s more about the fact that we pause to think about the people in our lives that we care about most. Giving gifts will do that.

Have you seen the video where children have to decide between receiving a gift and giving their parents a special gift? If you haven’t seen it yet, watch it here. What is it about giving that is so moving? I watch these children willingly forsake their dream gift in order to give their parents something special. And when asked, their reactions are each the same. They put their own wants below the value of giving their mom or dad something special – and here’s the kicker – they understand the meaning of giving a gift. Their emphasis is on the act of giving, and not even specifically what they are giving.

This holiday season, I want to say “thank you” to everyone who has so generously supported the Ronald McDonald House. Whether through giving your time, talents, or treasure, you have made a tremendous impact on families just like Evelyn’s. And you give to the Ronald McDonald House so selflessly. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without you.

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for all that you do, so selflessly, to support kids going through tough medical circumstances each and every day. I am so thankful for you.

By Vicki Chappelear

I have the amazing privilege of getting to meet so many wonderful people—people who I would not have an opportunity to meet otherwise. I recently had a conversation with a mom, which is nothing new; I have conversations with moms all the time. This conversation, however, was especially exciting. She is from another country and does not speak English. She and I have met several times over the past year and have always used an interpreter. During a recent visit, she came into my office and in very broken English, and many hand gestures, she communicated with me. I was able to understand what she needed and was able to help her. As she stood to leave the office, she looked at me, smiled and said, We talked. What an amazing thing we shared.

The Ronald McDonald House is such a unique place; it brings together a group of people who are from vastly different backgrounds but share a common goal. These parents are looking for the best care for their child whether the child is born too early or a teenager, undergoing long-term treatment or a quick procedure, from the United States or the other side of the world. The differences become very small and a wonderful community is formed.

It is very exciting to meet all of these families and have conversations with them; even when those conversations consist of broken English and hand gestures.

By Jamie Foltz

Hello!  My name is Jamie Foltz and I have worked at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House for over 7 ½ years. I have worn many hats in my time here, but none more important than “Friend.” My mom always used to say that “friends are the very best medicine.” They cheer you up when no one else can.  They sit in silence with you when no words will do. They hold your hand through your darkest moments without expecting anything in return. It is friends that get us through some of the toughest times life can throw at us. For families with sick kids, it is friends who help make nearly everything possible.

Now normally at the Ronald McDonald House we’re mostly talking about “Family.” That’s really what we are all about, after all. Keeping families together when it seems like life has other plans. When we talk about how the Ronald McDonald House happens, how it all comes together; it’s all about the friends that make it a reality. Friends who make meals for families they have never even met. Friends who donate their time to give back big smiles to moms and dads who need it the most. Friends who help cover the cost of a family’s stay by taking on one simple challenge.

Last week some of RMHC’s most magnificent friends, The Red Shoe Society, launched a new challenge to our community. It’s called #PayForAStay and it’s an opportunity to help cover the cost for one night’s rest at the Ronald McDonald House. It costs the House about $100 a day to provide for a family in need. While families are asked to help contribute to their stay by giving a $20 donation for each day they are here, no one is ever turned away. And many families simply cannot give. This is where all those friends of the Ronald McDonald House come in. For every $20 donated to help cover the cost of what a family is asked to give, an ornament is given to hang in the donor’s home. They can keep it for themselves, or make the donation in someone else’s honor and give the ornament to them. It’s simple and helps carry on the custom of friends helping friends. To take the #PayForAStay Challenge, simply follow these 3 easy steps:

1. Make a donation of $20 on our website. In exchange for your donation, you will receive an ornament in the mail.
2. Promote your donation on social media using #PayForAStay to help spread the word.
3. Challenge 3 of your friends to pay for a stay–they have 24 hours to make a donation! Make sure they challenge 3 of their friends as well.

I took the challenge on Monday and challenged 3 of my friends to do the same. While my mom isn’t here to see just how right she was, I know that my simple gift of $20 has been some of the very best medicine a family at the Ronald McDonald House could ask for. I hope you will help me share the message that “Friends are the very best medicine” by taking the #PayForAStay Challenge too.