Help Keep Sarnia Lambton Families Close like The Szaefer Family

Our first time at RMHC-SWO, we showed up with just two small suitcases, and the staff and volunteers made sure that anything that we were missing was provided. The first time we stepped through those doors, we had no idea we would call this our home-away-from-home for a total of 387 nights over the next 7 years. Baby Xavier was born prematurely and weighed only 1 pound, 13 ounces and he could fit in the palm of my hand. It was the most terrifying situation our family had ever endured. When you stay at around the Ronald McDonald House, you truly don't have to worry about anything. You can just focus on your child. Everything that you could possibly think of that you would need for daily life was there. Laundry facilities, home-cooked meals, and even an exercise room were all in this beautiful home for families to enjoy. Ronald McDonald House provides all of the comforts … we truly didn't have to worry about anything but making sure that our child who was sick in the hospital was cared for. I don’t know what our family would have done for 8 months without the Ronald McDonald House. Traveling back and forth from our hometown of Sarnia would have been expensive and mentally draining being so far from our baby in NICU. Today, Xavier is 7 years old and is thriving. He loves PAW Patrol, and toy cars and he loves running and playing outside. Xavier now has a brother named Jasper that was born in 2022 and is an awesome older sibling to his baby brother! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to all the donors who make it possible to provide all the necessary comforts for my family and many others. You have impacted our lives forever and we will never forget everything that was done for us during our 8-month stay.