Family Profile
Grady Family Home: Springfield, MO (Greene County)
On April 12th 2019, at 32 weeks pregnant, I
was admitted to Cox Hospital in advanced pre-term labor. Being 8 weeks early, the nursing staff worked diligently to try and stop the delivery. Despite their best efforts, it became clear that labor was progressing and our baby was on the way. We were informed of several conditions, and possible life-threatening complications making a NICU stay necessary. A short three hours later our daughter, Clara, was born weighing 4 pounds 6 ounces. She was examined by the NICU team and was thankfully healthy! She would just require a lengthy stay in the NICU to continue growing and developing. Cox’s NICU was full that night, so she was transferred to Mercy, where she spent the next five and a half weeks. Since we live in the Springfield area, we were offered a day pass to the Ronald McDonald House. With a day pass, we were able to visit the House, just a floor above the NICU, every day during our hospital stay to use all of their amenities and enjoy the nightly dinners. It was great having somewhere to be able to go make a meal, hang out, and to just “get away” for a bit, but still only be an elevator ride away from our daughter. RMH volunteers also made weekly rounds in the NICU to hand out snacks and drinks to the families staying in the rooms. It was just a small gesture, but it was a nice treat and something to look forward to after days of being in the hospital. Before our NICU experience I never knew exactly what the Ronald McDonald House did, but now our family will always be thankful it was available and for all the staff and volunteers who make it possible!
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