Maraena and Henry met in the Army. They fell in love and married soon after. “We wanted to start a family right off the bat, pretty much. We got pregnant with twins originally,” remembered Maraena. “Be we miscarried in our second trimester.” It was devastating but they wanted to keep trying.
They felt blessed when baby Ireland was born a year later. They wanted kids close together so they started planning for baby number two right away. Henry said, “We wanted them close in age, so they could be friends growing up.”
Like most parents, they were excited about everything to come. They started decorating the new baby’s room and planning how to celebrate Ireland’s first birthday. But they never expected that Maraena would go into preterm labor on Ireland’s birthday.
It was too early to deliver her baby, so they rushed to Tucson from Sierra Vista. They would be cared for at Tucson Medical Center, which has one of only two Level III NICUs in Southern Arizona. The doctors kept her in the hospital hoping to delay delivery as long as possible.
“Henry was driving back and forth between Sierra Vista and the hospital to be with me. And I was kind of an emotional mess because I couldn’t see Ireland. It was horrible,” said Maraena.
That’s when a nurse asked if they knew about the Ronald McDonald House, which offers a “home-away-from-home” for all families with a child who needs medical care – including those experiencing high-risk pregnancies like Maraena’s. They could stay at the Ronald McDonald House as long as they needed to, and at no charge to them.
“It was a huge blessing. A huge, huge blessing,” said Maraena. “Both of us had no idea about the Ronald McDonald House until we needed it.
“The first week I was stuck in the hospital and I could only see Ireland once or twice a day for 5 or 10 minutes. I had never left her for a moment before. It was a shock to my system.”
The Ronald McDonald House offered everything they needed for a comfortable stay: a calming bedroom, a kitchen that was always stocked with homemade meals, and a playroom for Ireland.
And it was available for them because of YOU. Your gift is always used locally, supporting our families here in Southern Arizona. Please consider making another gift today.
“The House lets you focus on what’s really important – your family and the health of your child,” said Henry.
For nearly five weeks, Maraena experienced labor-like symptoms. Then, early one morning, Maraena felt something change. And because they were staying at the Ronald McDonald House, Maraena and Henry were at the hospital in just minutes. Baby Adeline was born later that morning at 36 weeks and 6 days.
Her blood sugar was a little low, so the nurses admitted her to the NICU for monitoring. “Once we realized she wasn’t ready to come home with us, it was that much more comforting knowing that we were at least close by at the Ronald McDonald House and able to visit her,” remembered Henry.
When Adeline was discharged, the whole family spent their first night together at the Ronald McDonald House so they could drive home to Sierra Vista the next morning on a full night’s rest. Maraena said, “When you get home, you realize how much the Ronald McDonald House provided. But you’re in a better place mentally, so you’re like, ‘We got this.’”
When you donate to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona, you provide a “home-away-from-home” for families like the Scarbroughs AND your gift may be eligible for a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on your Arizona State taxes.
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