“Can I have my birthday party here?” Four-year-old Wyatt Jackson asked his parents this question while playing with his siblings at the Ronald McDonald House last fall. “It’s so fun here!”
The Ronald McDonald House was designed with families like the Jacksons in mind. The bright spaces, the family-style dining room, and most importantly, areas designed just for kids made it a perfect fit for Wyatt and his siblings Cameron, 8; Gracelyn, 6; and Logan, 2; after their newest addition, a baby girl named Eliza, was born prematurely.
“I was really scared,” said mom Amy. Eliza needed specialized care in the NICU at Banner — University Medical Center, nearly 80 miles from their home in Sierra Vista. “Luckily, I had my husband Stephen there. We were just praying.”
Before the kids came up to join them, they wondered how they would make it work. As a blended family, their time together is something they cherish, and making the drive back and forth would mean less time with Eliza, something they couldn’t even imagine.
“The more that we could hold Eliza the sooner she would get to come home,” said Stephen.
Thankfully, Amy knew what to do. She and her parents had stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Tucson thirteen years ago when her little brother was first diagnosed with muscular dystrophy.
So, she called the House and asked if there was room for not only them, but also their four kids.
The answer was “absolutely.”
“The kids spend most of their days here on the playground and riding bikes in the back, while one of us goes and sees Eliza and is with her,” described Amy. She and Stephen switched off midday so they both had plenty of time with all their kids.
Inside the House, the Center for Adventure playroom quickly became a family favorite, offering a make-believe grocery store, a dress-up corner, and a light table with building blocks. Across the hall is a cozy living room with big, comfy couches for movie nights.
Weekend brunches were another highlight where the kids could stack their plates with pancakes, eggs, and fruit. But weekends weren’t just about food.
Every weekend starts with Friday Family Fun, a special night featuring activities for families to do together, like board games, painting, or crafts.
On Saturday, there are rotating engagements hosted by our community partners—arts and crafts with Project Sunshine and STEAM projects with Children’s Museum Tucson. The Jackson siblings were especially excited for nature walks in the garden followed by drawing pictures of their favorite plants.
“It makes it more enjoyable for them to come up here,” said Amy, who knows that their development during this time is important too. The activities allowed them all to use creative play to cope with the uncertainty of having their sister in the hospital.
At six months old, Eliza finally passed her biggest milestone yet—her first hug and handhold from her siblings. She continues to grow stronger each day with her entire family by her side.
