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We are a family that survived our child’s illness – together

Families are stronger when they are together. The Hall family knows this all to well. Born at 33 weeks, baby Zondra was gravely ill. She had sickle cell disease and a rare disorder which fused together part of her intestine. Zondra was the youngest of three, and the months of recovery that followed meant separating the family, until they learned about the Ronald McDonald House.

Zondra spent the first five months of her life in the NICU, and had two corrective surgeries. Living more than an hour away, her mother, April, and her father, Chris, juggled being with Zondra at the hospital and caring for her older siblings at home. However, on weekends, the entire family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Wilmington, Delaware, to be close to Zondra.

"It was very challenging and very draining," recalls April. "But the Ronald McDonald House took such a load off our family. It meant so much more than our immediate need for someplace to stay."

When a child is ill, the diagnosis affects the entire family. Keeping the family together during the weekend meant the Hall family could support each other and baby Zondra together.

"Our children looked forward to going to the House. For them, it was simply a place to play and have fun," says April. "And for us, we could be near our youngest daughter. We also had a sense of community. You could talk to other families and feel that they understood."

Baby Zondra joined her family at home in the summer of '07. At the first opportunity, April took Zondra to the House and proudly introduced her to everyone there. Zondra is now 2 years old.

“Staying at the Ronald McDonald House really broadened our views about giving and helping others.  It has forever changed our lives.”

– Zondra’s mother, April

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