Every other week, Brandon and Ashley pack up their car in Franklin, Indiana, and begin a journey no parent ever expects to make. With their four children in tow, they drive three hours to Columbus so their kids can receive life-extending infusions to treat Batten disease, a rare, terminal illness that causes childhood dementia.
“We’ve been coming here since June of 2024,” Ashley shared. “Our four kids have something called Batten disease, which is a terminal illness. Their brain is basically being attacked. And so they come here and get infusions… which just kind of gives them a better quality of life.”
Those infusions take place at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, one of only a handful of clinics in the country with the expertise to treat Batten disease.
“There’s one in California and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, which is closest to us,” Ashley explained. “We come every other week and it’s a three-hour drive… six hours on the road. So, we sleep overnight here. If the Ronald McDonald House was not here, we would have to travel at 2 a.m.”
Over the years, the Ronald McDonald House has become a second home to Ashley and Brandon.
“We feel like we’re fulfilled here,” Ashley said. “We don’t have to come here and worry about if we have food or snacks or drinks. The Ronald McDonald House provides all of that.”
From meals and essentials to thoughtful check-ins before the family even arrives, the support removes layers of stress during an already overwhelming time.
“Before we even check in, they will call and ask, do you need a pack and play? Do you need a fridge for somewhere to keep medication? Every question is answered no matter what,” Ashley shared. “No matter what, they’ll help you. If they can’t, they’re gonna find a way.”
That care shows up in small moments that mean everything. One night, when the family realized they had forgotten a bottle, staff didn’t hesitate.
“They’re like, ‘Let me go check the basement. I know we have a box somewhere,’ and they found us one,” Ashley said. “They really take care of you just like they would their own family.”
And sometimes, that care turns into celebration.
During one of the family’s stays, it was their daughter Payton’s birthday. Without being asked, a staff member stepped in to make the day special.
“They went out of their way and had a cake made for her, with her favorite color, and got her gifts on their own,” Ashley recalled. “A staff member did this. It was her day off, but they still made sure everything was set.”
For Brandon and Ashley, those moments are what make the House more than a place to sleep.
“This is truly a House of love,” Ashley said.”
In the midst of long drives, complex medical care, and an uncertain future, the Ronald McDonald House offers something priceless: comfort, dignity, and the reminder that no family walks this journey alone.