From Our House to
YOURS
JANUARY 2024
FAMILY STORY:
The Beaton Family
Clara's Courage Finding Comfort in the Ronald McDonald House Clara Beaton has the kind of smile you
Clara’s story began before she was even
can’t help but return. Whether she’s playing
born, when Lana’s 20-week ultrasound took
on the swing set with her big sister Stella,
an unexpected turn.
chasing the family dogs around the yard, or baking a pan of brownies for her family, she exudes a joy that seems so much larger than
"We didn't get the exciting news that new parents hope for," Lana said.
her young body.
The ultrasound revealed that
To see Clara out in
“We couldn't get her body
the world, with
to do what we needed it
her big smile and
to do, to feel well and to
infectious giggle,
grow and to thrive.”
you would never
Lana Beaton
guess the challenges she has faced in her short life.
“She's been dealt such a terrible hand of cards in her seven and a half years, and the fact that she comes out on top of all of that
Clara would be born with Down syndrome and a significant heart defect. It was clear that Clara would need specialized medical attention and care–and a lot of it. But even those diagnoses couldn’t have prepared the
the family finally found an answer. She was diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s disease, a congenital condition characterized by a deformity in the intestine. Imagine a puzzle missing a few pieces—Hirschsprung’s disease is like that, with sections of the intestine lacking the essential nerve cells
Beaton family for the long, arduous journey
that propel waste through the digestive
that lay ahead of them.
system. The lack of movement often leads
"We just couldn't get her system regulated. We couldn't get her body to do what we
just is amazing,” said Clara’s mother, Lana
needed it to do, to feel well and to grow and
Beaton. “She is just a spitfire of a kid–just
to thrive,” Lana said.
this joyful, loving, fun, spicy little character.”
It wasn’t until Clara was two years old that
to a blockage, causing pain and a host of complications. For Clara, it meant additional medical concerns alongside her existing conditions.
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