1. Ronald McDonald House Marks
A New Milestone After 40 Years
So, there I am sitting at the dining
room table with another father stay-
ing at the Savannah Ronald McDonald
House. He had that same shell-shocked
look that my wife and I had the week
before. I asked why he and his wife
were there and he told me the story
about their baby being born premature-
ly. Their little guy was only one and a
half pounds.
My heart sank so deep for this family
and the struggles that they were going
through. After a short period of time,
he looked up and asked, “So, how big
is your baby?” I said, “Well, our baby
is about 205 pounds and six feet tall.”
After a very confused look from him, I
shared our son’s story.
We are David and Linda Fife from
Utah. Our son, Cory (19), had been in
Savannah for about three months on a
mission trip. While riding his bike over
a bridge he was struck from behind by
a utility van. He sustained numerous
injuries, the worst of which was a trau-
matic brain injury.
Cory was in a coma for almost two
weeks. Once he awoke, he underwent
a couple of surgeries and then moved
into rehabilitation. He progressed mi-
raculously and we were able to return
home after seven weeks of being in Sa-
vannah.
On the first night that we were at the
hospital, the nurse in the trauma unit
realized Cory was only 19 and was
still a “child.” She called over to see if
there was room at the Ronald McDon-
ald House and thankfully, there was.
Being at the House, provided us with
so much love, support and compassion
during this time.
When you are so far from home with
no family, it is so wonderful to have
everyone at the House “adopt you.”
They provided so much, from deli-
cious home-cooked meals to fabulous
desserts that I will have to run many
miles now to remove the effects on my
waist. But most importantly, they pro-
vided love.
The Ronald McDonald House labels
itself as “The House That Love Built”.
While I would agree that it was every
donor’s love and caring that built it, I
would add that the House is also “held
up by Love.”
From staff to volunteers, there is a
constant outpouring of genuine love
and concern for each family. They were
there to share in Cory’s triumphs and
offer a shoulder to lean on when we
were feeling down. Together, with oth-
er House families, we rejoiced at hear-
ing the news that one family’s child had
gained two ounces (Go Logan!), anoth-
er child’s PET scans came back clean
and rather than taking a few steps, our
son walked 30 yards!
The Ronald McMonthly
VOLUME 3. ISSUE 3 MAY 2016
IN THIS ISSUE
2 Helping Hands
3 Donor Gala
4 Getting Involved
A Letter from the CEO
Dear Friends,
It is an honor and
privilege to serve as
your new CEW at
Ronald McDonald
House Charities of
Lubbock. Austin
Aldama is still in the
RMHC family as the
CEO at our charity
in Dallas.
As I am getting to know the
families we serve, I am touched and
inspired. They are living with tragedies
and miracles, with fear and hope, with
heartache and joy. And, we couldn’t
provide beautiful lodging, nourishing
meals, and lots of TLC without the ded-
icated volunteers who make our Houses
into homes, along with the generous
support of individuals and companies in
our Lubbock community. My journey is
just beginning and already I am deeply
thankful for the opportunity to do this
work with you.
In this newsletter you’ll see sev-
eral exciting updates about our charity.
Please note all the ways you can sup-
port the families we serve. I hope you
will read this with a renewed sense of
awe and pride in the ways that you, as
a partner in our mission, are making a
difference in the lives of seriously ill
children and families every day.
Best wishes,
Nicholas M. Casillas
In 2015, nearly 5.7 million children and families were
served by the RMHC - and more need our help. We
want to support more children throughout their recov-
ery, give more families a comfortable place to stay
during a difficult time and offer medical services to
more children are without.
Butwe can’t do it without you, so we’re asking you to
get inolved. There are so many ways for you to join us
in our mission dedicated to providing stability and vital
resources to children in need.
Our Mission and Vision
The mission of The mission of RMHC is to create, find and
support programs that directly improve the health and well-
being of children. Guiding us in our mission are our core
values:
Lead with compassion
Focus on the critical needs of children
Celebrate the diversity of our people and our programs
Value our heritage
Operate with accountability and transparency
RMHC is the catalyst to create a world where children have
access to quality health care and their families are able to
better comfort and support them while actively participating
in their care.
Get Involved with RMHC
The Ronald McMonthly
4

2. Lending A Helping Hand
Read to Family Stories from the RMHC
On June 30th, my family and I celebrated the 4th anniversary of the day I finished my
cancer treatments and left the Seattle Ronald McDonald House. We felt so lucky to be
offered a room at the House, but even luckier when we got to go home three months later.
I had just turned 15 when I started my treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma Stage 2A with
bulk disease at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Being away from home, school, and my
friends was tough. But the fact that my parents were able to take turns staying with me at
the House helped a lot. My sister Virginia came to visit each Saturday when my parents switched places. I will
always be grateful to Ronald McDonald House Charities and donors like you for keeping us close during that
difficult time.
Knowing we had a great, affordable place to
stay right near the hospital was a huge relief
for our family. I remember being thankful I
didn’t have to worry about where we would
stay or whether we could afford it. I was able
to focus on trying to get better and keeping
up with my school work. I was determined
not to fall behind in school because of my
illness.
We met some great people at the House. My
mom appreciated all the different groups
that came to cook meals for the families. She
even knew one group through work and it
meant so much to her that they always looked in on me. My dad offered to help out with small repairs around the
House and got to know some of the volunteers. Many of them had been House guests when their own children
were ill, and this was their way of giving back.
I can relate to wanting to give back. That’s a big part of why I’m studying to be a nurse.
Connect with us to read about more inspiring stories!
2
All accounts @ RMHC
3
It all started in 1974,
when Philadelphia Eagles foot-
ball star Fred Hill’s 3-year-old
daughter, Kim, was being treated
for leukemia at Children’s Hos-
pital of Philadelphia. Hill and
his wife camped out on hospi-
tal benches and sat in cramped
waiting rooms during Kim’s
three years of treatment. They
met many parents and families
who’d traveled great distances
so their children could receive
medical treatment. Few could
afford hotel rooms.
Ronald McDonald House
The first Ronald McDonald
House was built in Philadelphia
in 1974.
Determined to come
up with a solution, Hill rallied
the support of his teammates.
Through Jim Murray, the Eagles’
general manager, the team part-
nered with Dr. Audrey Evans,
head of the pediatric oncology
unit at Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia, who had long
dreamed of a “home away from
home” for families of children
being treated at the hospital.
Murray called Don
Tuckerman from the local Mc-
Donald’s advertising agency, to
inquire about his next planned
promotion in the Philly area. “St
Patrick’s Day,” Tuckerman said.
“Shamrock Shakes.”
The shakes and the Ea-
gles happened to share the same
color -- green -- creating the
perfect combination for a local
campaign. A week-long pro-
motion donated all Shamrock
Shake profits going to the cause,
enough to help buy a four-story,
seven-bedroom house near the
Children’s Hospital of Philadel-
phia. Later that year, it opened
as the first Ronald McDonald
House.
“#RMHC”
The Shamrock Shake
Connection To RMHC
Our Twitter
Story
by Kirsten Smith
Ronald McDonald House Charities is
marking its 40th anniversary through a global
social media campaign celebrating the children,
families and volunteers who have been
touched by the organization. Join the
movement by sharing your pictures,
videos or stories with the #forRMHC hashtag.
Get in the spirit by sporting your red-and-white
striped socks in honor of RMHC.
“It’s a campaign to help people – particularly
Millennials – understand our mission and inspire
them to get involved by joining forces with our
more than 305,000 volunteers world-
wide,” Gonzalez-Mendez explained. “We
hope to convey the message that togeth-
erness heals and they can be a part of a movement
to help children in their community and across
the Globe.”