Ronald McDonald House Charities of So. AZ
Overall Experience
Heaven on Earth? This is it!
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Hello,
my name is Andreas. I came from Europe to Southern Arizona in January 2001 with my wife Debbie and my new-born baby girl Emily Victoria. I had to attend a training-course. We have had a wonderful time, making lots of friends.
In early May it was time to go back home again. We packed up, the packers took all our stuff and we cancelled the apartment. Literally, the day we wanted to embark on our trip back home, we found out, our 10-months old baby had leukaemia. There was no way, she was stable enough, to be transported back home. So we were transferred to Tucson University Medical Centre in the middle of the night. There we were counselled, that Emily was seriously ill, and prospects were very bleak. We were stranded half way around the world with the prospect of our child dying - just like that...
With no place to go, we were pointed towards the Ronald Mc Donald House. That night we arrived on the doorsteps thoroughly sweaty, dazed, exhausted and very upset. The image I will keep remembering for the rest of my life, was Mama Z lifting herself up from her chair and giving Debbie and myself the mother of all hugs. From that point on we knew, if we wanted to support our baby-daughter combating cancer, there was no better base then the Ronald Mc Donald House in Tucson. For the following weeks we went over to the UMC watching Ro Bagatelle and her staff at the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit coming up trumps. They were really doing their magic.
Emily fought hard and well. After eight weeks however, all scientific and spiritual means were exhausted and Emily passed away in our arms, while the Sonoran sun was rising outside the window.
Again the Ronald McDonald House’s staff were there to help. While we were stricken in grief, they supported us with all of the administrative nightmare of a funeral and “how to take an urn back home”.
All of this happened five years ago. Since then, a plaque has been put up in the garden of peace at the Ronald McDonald House in remembrance of Emily. Five years later we have two beautiful daughters and are happily living in our community.
However, every day I think back of those dark and desperate days in Tucson. Every day I see my baby-girl fade away. And every day I see the good people of the Ronald McDonald House providing us with the strength to cope with another stressful day. Much time has passed. A lot of terrible things have happened since. But one very good thing has survived through all of this unscathed: the Ronald Mc Donald House in Tucson (and the UMC PICU).
With the deepest respect,
Andres Laaff
posted by Puzzlepalace on April 10, 2006 |
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