Words can’t express how grateful we are for the Ronald McDonald Family Room! We have had a very unexpected NICU stay with our second baby, this place and all of the staff have been a true blessing to us. From offering support, smiles, and just being there to celebrate our baby’s successes with us. Having a room to stay in helped us to be able to stay at the hospital overnight to be with our baby a much as possible. Our older on calls the Family Room the ‘fun room,’ and loves going to get a fruit snack and watch a movie.

This place is where we can be a family together in the hospital every day! That alone will be a gift that will not be forgotten or easily paid back. We love the Family Room, and it’s helped make a difficult situation easier.”

Our NICU experience was a very unexpected one. We went in for a normal 39-week GD induction and then our son stopped breathing after one breath moments after he was born. The hospital staff was finally able to intubate him to give him an airway to breathe. After being taken to EIRMC, we began settling in for a 69 day NICU experience filled with lots of waiting, surgery for jaw expansion, learning slowly to eat, and learning of a very rare congenital disease that no one knows a ton about. 

Throughout this entire time, we had angels all around us helping and supporting us. We were blessed to have a home away from home that gave us everything we needed to take care of ourselves while our baby was in a critical state. The Ronald McDonald family room allowed our family to be together. Our other son was also able to make fun memories and get to know angels as well during a very stressful time for our family. We came out stronger in the end, but without everyone helping us, we couldn’t have had done it. Today our baby is growing big and strong and it’s getting easier to forget about our hospital stay as his scars fade. Even when the scars fade, we will always remember the good times and things we learned during that time.

~ Kelland Family | Rexburg, ID | 68 Days at the Family Room