We agreed, and in January of 1977, Nick and I attended a meeting at a local Denny’s Restaurant. Four other couples and a physician attended. We were one of two Latino families. Our common bond was that within the past six months, each of us had lost a child to leukemia. We all spoke about our losses, what caused our baby’s cancer, and what helped us get through the crises. The sharing helped, and it also changed our lives for the better. We continued our meetings. Then one family spoke about Ronald McDonald Houses being built around the country. Within a few months, we decided we needed a “house” in San Diego for families to stay near their hospitalized children. We incorporated into a nonprofit called San Diegans Against Childhood Cancer, visited other Ronald McDonald Houses, and began raising funds to build our “home away from home.”
I thought our personal tragedies were behind us, but in 2018 Nick passed away from cancer. To keep Matthew and Nick’s spirit alive, I remained a volunteer with our Ronald McDonald House and continued raising funds and sharing our story about this magical place. We welcomed a new baby girl in 1978; now we had a son and three daughters, Nicholas, Clarissa, Carina and Choney. We created beautiful memories and had a wonderful marriage. Nick and I were married in 1968 upon his return from Vietnam. He served as an infantryman and medic in the U.S. Army and earned two Purple Heart medals. Our doors opened December 16, 1980. It was an 8-room home for families, which we affectionally called, “The House that Love Built.” It provided for home-cooked family meals, counseling, and empathetic listening for parents. Over the years, Nick and I served in various capacities on the Board and continued to support this “home away from home.”
Grand re-opening of the North House, July 2017. Nick and Connie Hernández, far right. (Photo courtesy Connie Hernández Family Archives)
Connie Hernández Family today at the Ronald McDonald House, June 2022 (Photo courtesy Connie Hernández Family Archives)
One of our first donations was $7.42—in cash—from a Poway Girl Scouts troop. Then, the McDonalds Corporation, Children’s Hospital, local philanthropists, including a surprise $500,00 donation from Joan Kroc, and other organizations stepped up. Incredibly, our local group raised $300,000, and once we began construction, Nick, who headed the Carpenters Union Local 2020, rallied other labor unions to contribute. Much of the construction materials and labor were donated.
Today, our San Diego’s Ronald McDonald House is a 47-room facility and a haven of hope and love. I am very proud of this accomplishment due to our Latino community playing a significant role in its development. It is the legacy that our baby Matthew left behind and it’s the same legacy that Nick and I and our family leave behind.
Ronald McDonald House today (Photo courtesy San Diego Ronald McDonald House Charities archives)
Nick and Connie Hernández. Leaving for Service in Vietnam, 1967
Nick and Connie Hernández Wedding November 23, 1968 (Photos courtesy Connie Hernández Family Archives)
Nick’s 70th Birthday Celebration, September, 2014
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San Diego Latino Legacy – Timeline • Milestones • Stories
Chapter 6 – Perseverance
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