Meet Liv, Jay, and Gianna-Grace

My name Olivia, my family and I are from Brantford, Ontario and we stayed at RMH®SCO for nearly over 2 months while our daughter was being treated in the hospital.

Hometown Brantford

Days 62

Service Used Hamilton House & Hamilton Family Room

Our Story

To our surprise, or baby arrived prematurely at just 26-weeks gestation. While we were eternally grateful for a safe delivery, we were overwhelmed with a myriad of intense emotions, having been thrust into a situation we were not prepared for.

After being informed that our sweet girl was expected to remain in the NICU until her due date (another 24 weeks away) we were deeply saddened. Everything felt uncertain, and we were trying to process what this long journey would look like for our family.

Given that we're from Brantford, we were lucky to be able to stay at Ronald McDonald House in Hamilton, just steps away from our baby. Coincidently, we were familiar with Ronald McDonald House when my husband volunteered their with his workplace in 2023, but never in our wildest dreams did we think we would need to stay there.

However, we can undoubtedly say our experience was wonderful.

A room became available, and before we could gather our thoughts, we were checking-in and receiving a tour. Everything happened so smoothly during a time where nothing else felt simple.

Some of the things we truly appreciated were the location, affordability, friendliness of the staff, cleanliness of amenities, convenience of laundry, and emphasis on wellness. We also deeply appreciated the meals we were provided, as well as having access to the communal kitchen so we could prepare our own meals when we desired.

One of our fondest memories of staying at the House was connecting with other families who were experiencing the same of similar challenges. We leaned on one another for support, and those connections meant more than we can put into words!

During our stay, we were also able to celebrate and share in some special moments - including our first Father's Day, Canada Day, and even privately honouring Jamaica's Independence Day by using the communal kitchen to prepare our own jerk chicken. These moments helped us feel like ourselves again, even during such a difficult season.

We truly had an amazing stay at Ronald McDonald House. Looking back, we are filled with gratitude for the care, comfort and support we received during such an unexpected chapter in our lives. Ronald McDonald House allowed us to stay close to our daughter and find community and normalcy when we needed it most - something we will never forget.