Comforts of home
Ronald McDonald House makes all the difference for terminally ill youngsters and their families
By Joanna Dehn Beresford 06/03/2010
Hmmm. Crouched over my desk, chin in hand, finger tapping cheek, thinking. Would I rather live in a dusty, disheveled and cluttered apartment/condo, making beds, cleaning toilets, stocking the refrigerator, negotiating with gardeners and pool boys, or, would I prefer to live in a hotel, with housekeeping services, a well-stocked mini-fridge, manicured lawns, private patio and concierge services 24/7.
Tough call. I think I’m going to have to go with the hotel. If I could afford it, and if my kids could maybe live in a high-security, private padded room on another floor –– as long as they’re happy and healthy, of course.
Early in May, the LA Times published an article, written by Valli Herman, called “Hotel as Home.” Herman describes the Good Life, the concept of “well-heeled and mobile” clients luxuriating in the comforts and amenities provided by multimillion-dollar suites and condos associated with hotels; or taking up residence in the bungalows at the Beverly Hills Hotel or the Chateau Marmont, for example.
There’s a different kind of hotel residency, that redefines the concept of “long term.” For some residents at this particular group of facilities, a stay can last a lifetime. A brief lifetime. My friend Megan Goehring and her family checked into the Ronald McDonald House in Loma Linda, adjacent to the Loma Linda University hospital, several years ago. Their 6-month-old daughter, Ellie, was struggling with a genetic seizure disorder. Goehring family members and close friends schlepped back and forth across the hospital campus, from their McDonald shelter, for more than a day. Their daughter had been sick nearly since birth, but the RM House was full for much of that time. They finally secured a room — as it turns out, on the last night of Ellie’s life.
“I’m really glad the House was there. We were prepared to stay as long as possible or necessary,” Megan says. “It was nice to have a place other than the floor of the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) to sleep. That was our world for a day — it could have been much longer — and we’ll never forget it.”
Typically, residency in a Ronald McDonald House can last anywhere from a day to six months or a year. The nonprofit organization provides many services to children and families. The mission of the Ronald McDonald House Charities “is to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children … We believe that when you change a child’s life, you change a family’s, which can change a community, and ultimately the world.” In many cases, their mission serves families in need of a home as their children struggle to overcome illness.
The Pasadena Ronald McDonald House is located in two Craftsman cottages across from Huntington Hospital, and they serve families whose children are undergoing treatment for serious illness at a range of medical facilities throughout Greater Los Angeles. Each house ccommodates 15 to 20 people and includes laundry facilities, a kitchen, a well-stocked pantry, living and sitting rooms. All parents and siblings of hospitalized children are welcome. The house runs at around 94 percent occupancy. Cost of a room is $15 a night, although no one is ever turned away for lack of funds. Some families stay for a few days or weeks; others have lived there for as long as six months or a year.
The Pasadena location opened in 2004 as part of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California. Since then, PRMH has served hundreds of families. The residences were originally designed by architect John Connors and built in 1912 by D.W. March and L.P.C. Baugh, for daughters of former Gov. Henry Markham.
Like all the Ronald McDonald House Charities, PRMH benefits from the proceeds of their namesake corporation, but relies heavily upon other contributors. “We couldn’t exist without the help of our wonderful volunteers and our outside partners,” says Pasadena House Director Elizabeth Dever. The next major fundraising event for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California, including the Pasadena House, is called “Hits for Hope 2010” and takes place Saturday, June 12 at Big League Dreams in West Covina.
Every Ronald McDonald House is different, like all of our homes are different. But they all provide the same things that we hope our own homes will provide: shelter, comfort, support, sustenance, community and hope. Kind of gives a richer flavor to the term Club Med.
For more information, call (626) 358-4523 or (626) 585-1588 or visit pasadena RMH.org.
Contact Joanna Dehn Beresford at truewrite@yahoo.com.
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