Spending Valentine’s Day Together
Aaron & Sabrina Engbrecht had just had their 2nd child, Elsie, at Memorial Hospital on January 19th, 2020. Elsie developed a high fever, which doctors told them could be dangerous for a 3-week-old baby. Aaron & Sabrina decided to take her to the ER at Memorial Hospital. As they made their way to the hospital, concerns about her high fever flooded their minds. Hospital staff reassured them that they did the right thing by bringing her in. Leading up to this, Sabrina had dealt with severe complications following Elsie’s birth that included an emergency surgery and an additional ER visit. Here they were back in the ER again – they couldn’t believe it.
This is when the hospital staff mentioned that Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Michiana (RMHC® Michiana) was available to them while Elsie was in pediatric care. She would need to undergo testing for a variety of things that could cause the high fever. So, Aaron & Sabrina visited RMHC Michiana for a tour.
They ended up being in the hospital for three days. One of those days happened to be Valentine’s Day. With all the chaos of what was happening, finding time for themselves wasn’t top of mind. That’s where RMHC Michiana provided the support they needed to get through this trying time.
“Looking back at that time, it was a really rough stretch. Sabrina was in bad shape physically, requiring multiple ER visits, blood transfusions, and surgeries,” Aaron said. “Our oldest son was not yet 2 years old, and the world was on the verge of shutting down due to Covid-19. It was a wild time, but Valentine’s Day fell on one of the three days that Elsie was hospitalized. We found respite in a simple spaghetti dinner provided by RMHC Michiana volunteers–a brief time to connect in the chaos of parenting two small kids while dealing with Sabrina’s significant health scares. We really appreciated the space that RMHC Michiana provided for us and the friendly volunteers/staff that interacted with us.”
This is why family-centered care is essential – and it is why the mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Michiana (RMHC® Michiana) exists. Families need to have a support network so that they can be there for their children when that presence is most needed. Parents need to be able to make decisions about their child’s well-being. Having a space to recharge and find comfort allowed Aaron & Sabrina to do exactly that.
The Engbrechts’ story is a powerful reminder of the vital role RMHC Michiana plays in the lives of families with critically ill children. Since opening in 2002, we have provided a home-away-from-home for thousands of families, ensuring they can stay together during their most challenging times. Our 15,000-square-foot facility features 20 bedrooms, each with private bathrooms, a fully stocked kitchen, children’s play area, and laundry facilities—all designed to offer comfort and support to our guests. All the services provided by RMHC Michiana come at no cost to the families.
Our mission is sustained by the generosity of individuals and organizations within our community. Your gift ensures that we can continue to provide these essential services to families in need. It is our goal to make family-centered care the standard so that families with hospitalized children can lead their child’s healthcare team when it matters most.
How Your Donation Makes a Difference:
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Provides Comfort: Your support offers families a comfortable place to stay, reducing the financial burden during a medical crisis. At RMHC Michiana, we make it our mission to remove barriers for families so that they can focus on what matters most – the medical care for their child.
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Family-Centered Care: Ensuring that the family can be near their hospitalized child can significantly improve the child’s recovery process. It also allows the family to be directly involved in their child’s medical decisions instead of constantly traveling back and forth.
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Offers Essential Services: From daily meals to laundry facilities, your donation ensures families have access to necessary amenities. We provide 24/7 overnight rooms for families who need to stay with us overnight. We also offer day services so that any family with a child in the hospital can come over to our facility for a bite to eat, a load of laundry, a shower, or a quick respite. All the services we provide are free-of-charge to families.
Join Us in Our Mission
You can join us in this mission by making a gift to RMHC Michiana. Your contribution directly impacts families like the Engbrechts, providing them with the support and resources they need during their most challenging times. Together, we can continue to make family-centered care the standard when it matters most.