Family Stories
Gain inspiration from our families.
Below, you will find stories of families who have stayed at the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House.
Ellie's Gift
Nicole Koerner was on the way to pick up wrapping paper when she got her daughter Ellie's test results. It was just days before Christmas, and the seemingly healthy four-year-old had developed what looked like a rash on her entire body...read more
Jayson's Story
Nearly every morning, Brenda Flores’ fiance Jayson Lenzsch leaves the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House at 4am to drive to his job in New Jersey while she prepares to go to the hospital...read more
The Grosshans Family's Journey
When George and Barbara Grosshans moved to China ten years ago, they never dreamed they were about to become parents again...read more
The Osowiecki Family's Story
Christiane Osowiecki did not know what to expect when she arrived at the door of the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House 13 years ago...The Osowiecki Family's Story
The McLaughlin Family's Story
When Amy and Doug McLaughlin brought their two-month-old son Teddy to the doctor, they already knew something was wrong...The McLaughlin Family's Story
The Higgins Family's Story
When Lisa Higgins imagined her first trip to the United States, she never dreamt her time would be spent at the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House...The Higgins Family's Story
Bradley's Story
In November of 2009, Rowena Amematekpor and her three-year-old son Bradley were at a crossroads...Bradley's Story
Giulianna's Story
Kimberly Rinaldi was two months pregnant when she first learned there was a chance that her baby might have Down syndrome...Giulianna's Story
The Enberg Family's Journey
When Tammy and Eric Enberg traveled from Minnesota to Ukraine in 2009 to adopt their five-year-old daughter Sophie, they did not imagine that they were starting a journey that would double the size of their family...The Enberg Family's Journey
Teens Living With Cancer
When Rosemary Fabian was visiting her cousin Bianca Cotto, who was receiving treatment for osteosarcoma (a form of bone cancer) at St. Christopher's Hospital last May, she never imagined she too would be treated as a cancer patient there just months later...Teens Living With Cancer
The Crockett Family's Summer
What does summer mean to you? Enjoying the hot seasonal weather? How about planning vacations to the beach? This year, for the Crockett family, summer meant something quite different – a life changing situation and a seven-week stay at the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House. The Crockett Family's Summer
The Barkman Sisters Story
Everything changed the moment the girls arrived at the camp, located three hours from Philadelphia in the Pocono mountains. "I thought "whoa, this is huge!' It was just so amazing," Lauren says. "People at camp were just like me and that comforted me. No one cared if you were sick."The Barkman Sisters Story
The Bryan Family's Story
At first, Gary and Michelle Bryan assumed their son David just had a virus. Nearly three years old at the time, the otherwise healthy toddler started to seem a little lethargic. "Everything was absolutely normal," says Gary. "He was running around, talking. All of a sudden we noticed he started getting a little bit tired. He didn't want to talk. Then he started throwing up."...Read More
