My Nonprofit Reviews

In 2008, our son was born at Candler Hospital in Savannah, Georgia. Despite a healthy pregnancy, Dylan suffered meconium aspiration along with 2 other bacterial infections during delivery. The doctors weren’t sure he’d survive his first night. Within hours of birth, he was transferred to Memorial Hospital’s Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery. I had to stay at Candler, while my husband split his time between the two hospitals. On Thanksgiving Day, two days after his birth, Dylan had shown enough improvement so that mom and dad could hold their baby boy for the first time. As the days went on, our son proved to be a strong healthy baby that just happened to be born very sick.

During the two weeks Dylan spent in the hospital, our family discovered how lucky we were to live in Savannah where the level of care Dylan required was just down the street. Many families have to drive long distances to visit their children in the NICN, which often means sleeping in the waiting room or their car, or covering the cost of a hotel room. This is where the Ronald McDonald House® comes in. Established in 1987, the Savannah Ronald McDonald House has provided a “Home away from home” for more than 5,000 families. The House has 10 bedrooms with private baths, a communal living room and kitchen, dining and laundry areas. Each night volunteers from the community provide a home-cooked meal for the families to share.

After this experience and learning what an essential benefit the RMHCE offers to the families of sick children, we celebrate Dylan's birthday each year by holding a small local fundraiser for the charity.

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