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.
“We could not get him to gain weight no matter what we did,” says Amy. “We were feeding him around the clock. He was increasingly having trouble breathing.” The doctor examined Teddy and immediately sent the family to the hospital. “He told us to put Teddy back into the car and drive to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. There would be a bed waiting for us.”
At the hospital, the McLaughlins learned that the small jaw that Teddy was born with was not something that he would grow out of, but actually Goldenhar Syndrome, a congenital birth defect that made eating and breathing very difficult. After the McLaughlins’ second night of sleeping in the NICU while Teddy received care, the social worker suggested they consider the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House.
“I am so glad she did,” says Amy. “Teddy was supposed to stay for two weeks which then turned into two months. We ended up staying for five months. It gave us a solid foundation when our lives were in such upheaval.”
During this time, Teddy underwent three surgeries, including the insertion of both a feeding and tracheostomy tube so that he could eat and breathe. The House offered the McLaughlins, who are from New Jersey, more than just a place to sleep while they were here. “It is not just the room, which is fabulous, but all of the other little things that the House provides,” says Amy. “Just being with other parents who are in the same situation that you are in. Everyone staying at the House – they really get it.”
Teddy’s three-year-old sister Charlee was also able to stay at the House. “That really made a big difference,” Amy says. “It let her spend time with us, and her brother. The House is so kid-friendly. It gave her a lot of things to do that made her feel special. The last time we went home, she said “No, the Ronald McDonald House will miss me. I want to stay here.’”
Amenities like the Guest Chef program were also a big help to Amy during her stay, particularly after her long daily commute to the Princeton oncology lab where she works as a research investigator. “It was not a fun commute, but I would go there during the day, come back, go to the hospital, and crash at the House. There was always food waiting when I came back,” she says.
Today, the McLaughlin family is home and Teddy is doing better. “He is really thriving. He is on the growth charts finally,” Amy says. “With everything he has been through, he is the happiest, smiliest kid you would ever meet.” Teddy will continue to have follow-up care, and when he is four or five, will have jaw reconstruction that should enable him to breathe without a tube.
“We know our time at The Children’s Hospital is not over, and we have a long journey going forward,” says Amy. Still, knowing her family can stay at the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House make the road ahead seem easier. “It is like my second home now. Coming in, it makes one thing less complicated when you have this very complicated situation with having a sick child. Thank you for taking some of the every day burdens off of our shoulders so we could focus on our children.”
Support Us
The Heart of the House is our Volunteer program. The volunteers serve in many ways, helping to make the House a comfortable and supportive place for our families. The caring volunteers of the PRMH make this House a home.
