Martha Sotelo, Author at Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth

24 Apr

Posted at 17:58h in Uncategorized
This is Ian. He’s a fearless little boy who lives at the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth (RMHFW).

Ian was two years old when his mom and dad noticed a bump on his belly. After countless appointments with his pediatrician, he received the worst news possible.

Cancer.

After Ian was diagnosed with high-risk stage 4 neuroblastoma, it was clear that he needed treatment right away. Worst of all, the medical treatment he needed was 600 miles from home.

That’s when Ian’s family learned about the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth.

Ian’s parents took a risk when they left home to stay at the Ronald McDonald House. Ian’s dad left his career as a police officer, and Ian’s mom left her friends and extended family.

But the risk paid off.

Ian received high-quality medical care in Fort Worth, and his family can stay together at the House without worrying about travel costs.

“Back home, we had to drive 40 minutes just to reach the hospital,” Ian’s dad told us. “Here at the Ronald McDonald House, we’re next door to the best treatment possible.”

RMHFW’s community supporters are a big help in allowing Ian and his family to stay steps away from the hospital where he receives care. Because of our community, Ian has a fighting chance at beating cancer.

That’s why RMHFW’s supporters’ generosity is so important.

Through our Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth programs, we offer a supportive “home-away-from-home” near the hospital for families who must travel to Fort Worth for lifesaving medical treatment. In 2023, we provided a record-breaking 16,529 nights of stay for families battling cancer, congenital illnesses, and many other diagnoses.

But the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth is more than a place to stay.

We give families meals, laundry services, social services, and other support so they have everything they need to care for their ill or injured child.

We help families heal.

After 464 days of staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth, Ian’s family is shocked at how much the House feels like home. “Ian grew up here,” his dad said. “The Ronald McDonald House is where we learned how to be together, really together, for the first time.”

When RMHFW donors give monetary and voluntary support, families like Ian’s can stay together during their greatest time of need, free of charge.

23 May

Posted at 18:45h in Featured, Our Families

In April 2022, Elaina Brooks checked into the hospital with flu-like symptoms; She was 23 weeks pregnant. When she was at the hospital, a sonogram revealed that all of her amniotic fluid was dried up, leading to Elaina giving birth to Gwyneth at 1 pound, 6.9 ounces.

Elaina’s husband, Clint, would share with their two young boys – Levi, 3, and Noah, 1– that their sister was born early and that they’d be moving hours away to Fort Worth for a while and live in one room at the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth.

Clint and Elaina knew they wanted to be together, and not hours apart, since their boys were at such a pivotal growing time in their lives.

“Practically, I don’t know how we would have survived for as long as we were here in Fort Worth for five months if it was just me at home with the boys and Elaina in Fort Worth or the opposite,” Clint shared.

“Getting to come to the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth and staying together would have been enough. But the Ronald McDonald House made our stay not just bearable but enjoyable. The boys loved the playground and would go every day, which was a highlight of most of their days. The boys made friends with other kids who had siblings in the hospitals,” Elaina shared.

After 150 days at the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth, the entire family could finally go home together with baby Gwyneth!