SPONSORED
Caring for Caregivers THE WORK OF RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES ®
BY DAVID DINSMORE . PHOTOS PROVIDED.
SPONSORED BY RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES®
THE BLYTHE FAMILY CHECKED IN TO THE NEWLY-EXPANDED RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE® IN OKLAHOMA CITY WHEN THEIR DAUGHTER, LILLIA, WAS IN THE HOSPITAL.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME The Blythes – both senior airmen in the U.S. Air Force – came to OU Children’s Hospital from Altus in December 2021 after complications led to the premature birth of their daughter, Lillia. With their extended families in Georgia and South Carolina and their home two hours away, the Blythes checked in to the local Ronald McDonald House® to be near Lillia as she underwent a variety of procedures and treatments for her underdeveloped respiratory system. The newly expanded 40-bedroom Ronald McDonald House in Oklahoma City – whose first house opened in 1984 at another location offering 10 bedrooms – attaches directly to OU Children’s Hospital via a skybridge. This proximity allowed the Blythes to arrive at the NICU in the middle of one particularly crucial night five minutes after a nurse called to alert them of Lillia’s distress. “It’s been so great being so close to her and not having to worry about being two hours away,” said Kaleigh. “It takes the stress [out] of having to travel back and forth.”
Caring for caregivers: that’s been the mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities® for nearly 50 years as it has provided accom- modations free of charge where families can stay together while caring for their critically ill or injured children. “Families are stronger together,” said Susan Adams, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Oklahoma City. “We are a place for families to be together.” Since its first house in Philadelphia in 1974, the organization has established more than 375 locations near top children’s hospitals around the world, welcoming parents who travel considerable distances to receive the best care, including Kaleigh and Najiyen Blythe.
10 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / SEPT-OCT 2022
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