Our Volunteers Archives - Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth

We came to Fort Worth from South Carolina in order to adopt our son, Owens, who was born prematurely at 28 weeks.  He has chronic lung disease, was 2lb, 14oz at birth, and needed time in order to develop and grow. Due to his condition and the legal aspects of the adoption, we came with very basic information about him and his diagnosis.

Our lawyer suggested that we would need to prepare to stay for upwards of a month.  Given the expense of the adoption and knowing how expensive accommodations, food, and travel can be, we were not sure how we could pull off staying for a month.  Thankfully, the Cook Children’s case worker referred us to RMHFW, and told us that we should be able to get a room within a few days.  We spent two nights in the NICU before we were able to get into RMHFW. As far as NICUs go, Cook Children’s is very good.  But there is really only room for one person to sleep at a time, and there is no privacy.  The constant stream of nurses, doctors, RT’s, and others do not do well for quiet, unbroken sleep, or much privacy.  There is little storage room, and the showers and bathrooms are shared with other NICU parents.  We knew that just a few days of living in the NICU would wear us down. Once we got into the RMHFW, we were amazed at the size and quality of the rooms, dining facility, and other accommodations provided.  We finally had some privacy!  We slept very well that first night.

Over the course of his stay in the NICU, Owens ended up having several major complications. We ended up living at RMHFW for four months. I say “living” instead of “staying” because after a few weeks, RMHFW became our home-away-from-home.  The staff are all very caring and thoughtful, and supported us in more ways than just running the House.  They laughed with us, cried with us, and helped us keep going on when we were too tired to go on.  Mac, Luke, and Kyro were our comfort dogs when we just needed a furry friend.  The generosity of the volunteers at the House blew us away time and time again.  The amount of food, gifts, events, and caring people that came through those doors was amazing!  We have never experienced anything like it.  We were on first name basis with many of the repeat food group volunteers, and enjoyed their encouragement as well as the food.

It was very difficult to be away from home for so long, even with a couple of visits from family.  One of our most cherished memories will be the other residents we came in contact with and were able to befriend. They prayed with us and gave us the emotional support we needed.  We were happy to return the favor!  It really was kind of a big family.

RMHFW is not just a place to stay.  It is a support network of amazing people, residents and volunteers alike.  RMHFW was literally the difference between being able to adopt Owens, and not.  We could not have done it without them.

On Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016, the student volunteers of the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth will be hosting their second annual Art for a Cause Fundraiser.  The inaugural event in 2015 raised over $4,000 for the House, surpassing the students’ goal of $1,000.  The event was founded and spearheaded by then-senior, Breanna Brietske.

Breanna graduated from Fort Worth Country Day in May and is now a freshman at Trinity University in San Antonio.  She started volunteering at the House in June 2015 and was very dedicated, attending several events like Parents Time-Off and the Easter Celebration, and serving as a general House volunteer.

Despite serving for just over a year, Breanna had a large impact on the House and the Student Volunteer Program.  She approached Carolyn Hamilton, weekend manager and student volunteer facilitator, and Ashley Neill, volunteer director, with a new fundraising proposal to be hosted by the student volunteers.  The event, Art for a Cause, is an art auction and student art competition.

At the beginning of her junior year in high school, Breanna’s mom, Teresa, was diagnosed with stage four liver disease and had only six months to live unless she received a liver transplant.  Around Christmastime, Teresa’s kidneys began to fail, and she stayed in ICU at Baylor Medical Center for over a month.  Doctors told the Brietskes that Teresa was not a good candidate for a transplant since she was so unstable.

Breanna will be honored at the 2016 National Philanthropy Day Awards on November 17. She will be presented the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy award for her work at the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth and for Art for a Cause!

“We were running out of time and my mother progressively got worse day-by-day. None of the liver institutes in the western part of the United States wanted to transfer my mother because she was so unstable,” Breanna recalls.

The family was saying goodbye and beginning to plan her funeral when Houston Methodist Hospital returned their plea.  Mrs. Brietske received a transplant.  While in Houston, the family was fortunate to be able to stay at the Angel House which provide similar services as RMH.  “It made a huge difference to have a bed to sleep in after a really long day at the hospital.”

Breanna wanted to be able to give back to the families who are going through something similar. “I created Art for a Cause because I know how the families at RMH feel, and I want to do everything I can to help them. Having a loved one who is critically ill is one of the hardest things to go through. You just never know what will happen day-to-day.”

“I remember all the families who had to sleep in the ICU waiting room in Houston. I will never forget one elderly lady who I saw every day for weeks. She was from a small town about three hours from Houston, her husband needed a kidney transplant and had a serious infection. She couldn’t afford a hotel room or a place to stay so she had to sleep on a chair in the ICU waiting room. When I talked with her, she never complained or was upset. She was just thankful to still have her husband.”

For the Brietskes, it truly helped to have a place to come home to after 15 or more hours in the hospital. “Having an ill loved one is physically and mentally draining. It helps to have a place to try to relax and rest at the end of the day.”

The goal for the inaugural Art for a Cause Fundraiser was $1,000; however, Breanna was not too concerned about hitting that goal. She was more concerned about setting a good precedent and foundation for the event. “Since it was our first year doing the event, I had no idea what to expect so I tried not to worry and focused on working hard and doing everything I could to make the event as successful as possible. Personally, my goal was simply to make Art for a Cause happen no matter what.”

In the end, Art for a Cause raised over $4,000. “It made all the hard work my committee and I put into Art for a Cause totally worth it! I’m very thankful to everyone who supported this event by submitting artwork and bidding.”

“There is so much room for Art for a Cause to grow. I think Art for a Cause will definitely become a long lasting tradition because this fundraiser allows young students and adults to come together to support the House. Considering most students do not have a lot of money to donate, this fundraisers allows them to make a difference without having to spend much money. I also think it shows students how they can make a difference in the community and that’s a very valuable lesson to learn at a young age. I can’t wait to see Art for a Cause continue to grow and become a more prestigious and well-known event over the years.”

Breanna will be honored at the 2016 National Philanthropy Day Awards on November 17. She will be presented the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy award for her work at the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth and for Art for a Cause.

 

Stephanie Roessler has been volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House since 2010 when her friend told her she should volunteer there.

“She had wonderful stories to share about RMH and the work she did for them sounded like it would fit for me also. I like the variety of tasks; I like the people I get to work with, the guests that I get to know and the staff at RMH are wonderful.”

Whenever she volunteers at the House, Stephanie says feels welcomed, appreciated and blessed. “Many times families I just pass in the kitchen or hall way will say ‘Thank You.'”

Stephanie’s main project for the past few months is revamping the House’s Family Garden. “I really enjoy gardening, vegetables and flowers. I am always amazed at the growth of a new flower or when I spot a tiny cucumber that within days grows to 6″ long and then I get to eat it! In my mind it is like tiny little miracles. I think it’s also important for children to learn where our food comes from and why we need to take care of the earth.”

Originally, the garden was in wood containers; Stephanie suggested metal ones for durability and accessibility. She also suggested the gravel for people to walk on and what flowers, herbs, fruits, and vegetables should be planted.

“One day while I was working in the garden, I noticed a hospital employee nearby, she told me that on nice days during her break she walks over to look at the garden. What a wonderful compliment! I am just happy that people enjoy the garden for all it’s great benefits!”