A Story of Love

You awaken one morning at your home in Puerto Rico to the sound of a crying child – an unfamiliar cry of discomfort. Unable to comfort your child you rush to the nearest doctor and after examination and consultation find your child has a malady which is best treated in a far away place called New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A. You also learn the treatment will take time during which you need to be with her.
You pack up your family and those you need to accompany you and take off on a long flight to someplace called Hartford, Connecticut. You are filled with apprehensions about language difficulties and lack of communication, care and lodging of family traveling with you, what to do about the rest of your family, and especially about your child and the care she needs. You travel again to a hospital in New Haven where your child is welcomed, given a comfortable room and scheduled for medical care.

But what about the rest of your family and yourself? Someone at the hospital directs you to a family residence called The Ronald McDonald House. At the house you are welcomed, provided with a large comfortable room for $15 a night, and find that the room also includes a complete kitchen for your use, a dining room, recreation rooms and places to use com-puters and study.

During your stay you meet over 80 people, who cover the House 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Their jobs include transpor-tation for you and your family to and from the hospital as well as running the "home away from home" and making sure it has enough money; supplies, and facilities to make your stay as pleasant as possible. You are impressed with the size and skills of this ―staff‖ and most surprised to find that all but five of the people serving you are not staff, but VOLUNTEERS! People who donate their time for your comfort and safety.

As your child improves and is discharged from the hospital you make ready to return home from the ―home away from home‖, having made new friends of the people who make the Ronald McDonald house work – because they love doing it.

~Carol & Bert Sacco