The phone rang on Wednesday afternoon with the news: "We've got a baby for you in Evansville, Indiana. Are you still interested?" They were on the road from Kansas City, Missouri, at 10 o'clock the next morning!
Abigail and Jeremy had hoped to start a family about two years into their marriage. Her first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage as did her second, sadly, 18 months later. After numerous tests to determine the cause, the couple learned that Abigail has Hashimoto's disease. Among other problems, the disease causes rejection of a woman's fetus. It was devastating news, no doubt, but their medical team had hope that finding the right treatment could give them a positive outcome. Abigail began a roller-coaster ride of trying various medications that wreaked havoc on her body and, unfortunately, did not result in the hormone levels her doctors hoped to achieve.
The couple had always envisioned their family as a blend of both biological and adopted children and saw their circumstances as a sign pointing straight to adoption. Advised that the process normally takes up to 14 months, the Morrises settled themselves in for a wait.
To their surprise, just two months later they got the call! Abigail and Jeremy say they experienced all the emotions one might expect: happiness, fear, excitement, panic, but more than anything, pure joy. As soon as they held Bella Grace in their arms, all of their fears faded to the background, replaced by the only emotion that mattered: love for their daughter. "Oh my gosh, we're parents!" Abigail remembers she and Jeremy exclaiming, almost in unison.
When the couple arrived in Evansville, Bella Grace was in the St. Vincent NICU with some serious hurdles to overcome. Abigail and Jeremy made Ronald McDonald House Washington their home while their daughter mended. Being just minutes away meant they could be with Bella Grace throughout the day and night to bond with her and be a part of her healing. After just over a month, Bella Grace was released and returned with her parents to their Kansas City home, where friends and family surprised them with a fully furnished and decorated nursery.
"We are just overwhelmed at the love and generosity shown to us at the Ronald McDonald House," says Abigail. "I have volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House in Kansas City as a meal provider but have to confess I hadn't completely understood the enormity of the charity's impact on families. It has truly been a blessing and a gift that we will pay forward in any way we can."
Sometimes the things we can't change end up changing us. –Unknown
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Celebrating Gateway's First Year |
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It's hard to believe that the journey we began one year ago has brought us to the one-year anniversary of opening Ronald McDonald House Gateway. What a year it's been!
Even in a year of some events we'd surely love to put behind us, we can be proud of what we have built and the mission we are fulfilling. Despite protocols limiting capacity for a while, in a year's time Gateway has provided the comforts of home to 158 families for a total of 2,210 nights. That's the equivalent of over six years!
Now that restrictions have been lifted, all of the 16 guestrooms at Gateway are occupied and are expected to remain so going forward, leaving no doubt that the house program is very much needed. Here's a small sample of what families have shared:
"Staying at the Ronald McDonald House meant that my family could continue to live like we do at home and still give my daughter the care she needs without completely devastating our finances."
"We were able to give full attention and care to our son while the support of the house took care of us and our needs. We cried a lot at Ronald McDonald House, but many of our tears were from the acts of kindness of the staff and volunteers."
“This is a place where everyone understands what we’re going through. We are surrounded by the kindness of these people that we have never met before. Your kindness has been a silver lining through all of this and I feel so much gratitude.”
Happy anniversary to Ronald McDonald House Gateway!
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A dark sky. Pouring down rain. Blindingly dense fog. It was not a great day for golf at this year's Links FORE Love event at Victoria National Golf Club on October 19. Some foursomes decided to charge on despite the less-than-ideal weather, while others opted to receive vouchers to play on another day. There was a roaring fire and plenty of food for those who lingered in the clubhouse, enjoying the view of the course along with unexpected time for socializing and catching up with friends.
What would have been three on-course games with prizes for the winners were converted to a drawing for the prizes. Isaac Brown with the MasterBrand foursome won "Closest to the Pin" and received a set of Titleist irons and custom fitting. Ryan Brush with the Commissioner Ben Shoulders foursome won a $100 gift certificate to Victoria's pro shop in the "Hole-In-One" contest. Jimmy Schiff with the Schiff Air Conditioning & Heating foursome won the "Putting" contest and took home a new Scotty Cameron putter. Congratulations to our contest winners!
Weather doom and gloom aside, this year's event exceeded fundraising goals. We are tremendously grateful to our 27 foursomes; event sponsors McOpCo McDonald’s Stores, CenterPoint Energy, and Martin Brower; and we offer special thanks to Dr Pepper, our presenting sponsor. We also appreciate all who took part in planning and volunteering for the event. Thank you!
Stay tuned for details on next year’s golf event!
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Ask to Round-Up for RMHC and Help Us Win! |
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Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ohio Valley is partnering with McDonald’s and other chapters throughout the Midwest for a special campaign. The goal is to increase donations at McDonald’s by promoting “Round-Up for RMHC.”
The option to round-up is available throughout the year, but now through November 20 participating McDonald’s are engaging in a friendly competition to see who can raise the most round-up donations for RMHC. The goal? $1 million! We’ll all benefit from increased donations, but our charity could also share in a $25,000 prize for the chapters that fall within the winning McDonald’s co-op. We could also receive part of a $25,000 prize for the restaurant that moves the most cars through its drive-thru and $25,000 for the one that decreases the time a car is in the drive-thru line.
You can help us win! Just ask to “Round-Up for RMHC” the next time you visit your favorite McDonald's. When you do, your order will be rounded up to the nearest dollar and the round-up comes right back to our charity! Want to do a little more? Help us create excitement at McDonald’s restaurants by volunteering to hold “Round-Up for RMHC” signs at the drive-thru. Pictured above are high schoolers Eli Bittner (left) and Lucas Petitt encouraging customers at the McDonald's drive-thru on Highway 41 at Mt. Pleasant in Evansville.
It’s probably no surprise that the pandemic has caused a significant reduction in donations to our charity — this campaign is aimed at offsetting the shortfall we’ve suffered as a result. So please remember Ronald McDonald House Charities and McDonald’s through November 20 and don’t forget to say “Round-Up for RMHC”!
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Wine & Fries
February 26, 2021 | Tropicana Events Pavilion, Evansville
Wine & Fries is a evening of music, dancing, socializing, and fun! It features wine tastings, tasty food, a wine pull, and unlimited McDonald's World Famous Fries.
Laughs for Love
March 5, 2021 | Venue 1408, Huntingburg
An evening of cocktails, culinary creations, and laughs! This year features internationally renowned comedian Henry Cho.
Should circumstances prevent us from hosting these events in person, back-up plans are in place to host them as fun and festive virtual events. Please watch for updates. Contact Julia Baumeyer, our community engagement manager, at 812-402-7642 x302 to learn more!
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Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ohio Valley
RMHC of the Ohio Valley is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization which relies on charitable contributions from individuals and businesses in order to meet the mission.
Thank you for keeping families with critically ill children together!
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