“My favorite part about being a dad is living through my kids. Seeing things again for the first time through their eyes. Watching them learn and explore.”

Will Wells is the father of three incredible children: Sayler (7), Legend (5) and little Willow (11 months). He and his wife, Joyce, were introduced to the Ronald McDonald House after Willow was born without her right pulmonary artery. This meant that her body wasn’t getting the oxygen it needed.

“It was a complete surprise.”

Willow would need specialized care at a hospital in Tucson, nearly an hour from their home in Benson. They worried about how they would care for her while also caring for her siblings at home. That’s when a nurse suggested they reach out to the Ronald McDonald House.

“The Ronald McDonald House is our safe haven. I’m not sure how else to put it,” said Will. “Being here gives me the freedom to get back down to ground level without worrying about her health and my work. It’s our home-away-from-home.”

Best of all, Willow’s siblings could stay at the House, too. At just 25 days old, Willow underwent surgery to have a stent placed to help her blood reach her lungs. But it wasn’t a permanent solution.

Willow’s family stayed at the Tucson Ronald McDonald House for a month and a half while she recovered from her initial surgeries. Then they received the news that doctors in Phoenix could build her a new artery. She needed to travel up there as soon as possible to start the process.

“We couldn’t get into the Phoenix House right away, so the Tucson House Manager got us a hotel for the first two nights until we could get off the waiting list. They were truly there for us when we couldn’t be there for ourselves.”

Willow’s surgery went well, and she was home with her entire family before she knew it.

She turns one in a few weeks and she’s still doing great. She’s smiley and adventurous and loves to play with her two older siblings. Her heart condition means she’ll have more surgeries as she grows, but her family now knows they will always have someplace like home when they need it.