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A Big Win for a Little Girl

Little Sophie was born with a heart defect that is almost always fatal.

She spent the first several months of her new life in the neonatal ICU in Dublin, Ireland. Not wanting to be far away from their daughter, Sophie’s parents found a welcome home at the nearby Ronald McDonald House. Her big brother came along too.
“The House was a place to relax, to share our thoughts with others who understood, and to cry if we needed to. There was also a lot of laughter,” recalls Sophie’s father, Liam. “They say it’s a home away from home, but it’s far more than that. It’s a shelter from the storm.”

The family was told Sophie wouldn’t live. But their little fighter survived several surgeries, organ failures and a massive infection. Sophie battled the storm and won. Against all odds, seven months after being born, Sophie was finally able to go home to her family.

The Ronald McDonald House allows families to face the weight of an illness together. Research shows that a family presence in the hospital helps children heal faster and cope better. Staying at a Ronald McDonald House allows parents to better communicate with their child’s medical team and improve adherence to complicated treatment plans. Sophie is another shining example of what it means to families to be able to face their illness together – and win.

Comments (1)|(Hide)

  • brooke

    13/12/2010 6:42pm

    Thats great! Keep pulling through! I am so glad that everything worked out.

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