At 12 years old, my daughter Maddie Grace was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It rocked our world. It felt like we were stuck in a nightmare. Hearing the words ‘tumor’ and ‘chemo treatments’ about my daughter was hard to grasp.

Just days after Christmas 2021, Maddie underwent brain surgery to have the tumor removed. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get it all. Less than a month after brain surgery, she began chemotherapy. Doctors told us she would need to endure 42 rounds of chemo with MRIs every three months. Her chemo treatments are once a week, so we have to leave our home in Franklin, KY, to head to Louisville.

Thankfully, Maddie Grace’s doctors told us about Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana (RMHCK) the night we found out about her diagnosis. The idea lifted a huge weight, and immediately I felt a sense of relief. Over the last several months, RMHCK has become our home away from home.

Our home is almost a 2-hour drive from Louisville. If we didn’t have this REFUGE during the hardest parts of our treatment, it would add lots of stress to Maddie Grace and me. Financially, mentally, and physically, I don’t know how we could survive without the Ronald McDonald House. 

From the rooms we stay in that have served so many, to the food provided when we don’t have the mental or physical strength to go out, and the activities that allow children to do things that children just want to do– it’s been a blessing to us. I don’t know how to say thank you to the staff, volunteers, and donors enough.

Maddie Grace is the strongest kid I have ever met. Even when she doesn’t feel good, I know she’s fighting hard. Most weeks, she gets pretty sick but bounces back before the weekend is over. She is resilient, optimistic, and never lets her spirit die.

RMHCK has been a huge blessing during our travels back and forth. We’ve been blessed to make friends here, and I have seen firsthand how RMHCK has brought families together and kept smiles on the faces of children and parents like myself.

Your generosity helps families like us focus on the needs of our children.

Thank you for supporting us and families like us!