Penny was born a healthy baby girl at the Toledo Hospital on February 12, 2018. We were set to take our firstborn home from the hospital when she starting having breathing difficulties. Multiple life-threatening apneic episodes lead the NICU to be called. They took wonderful care of our daughter. After various clear tests of her heart and lungs, her MRI revealed a spot on her left temporal lobe, indicating Penny suffered a stroke in utero.
While Penny was being cared for, Steve and I (Abbey) were fortunate enough to be able to stay at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Ohio. This will forever be a place dear to our hearts. In our time of need, they certainly lived up to their mission of keeping families close, while providing comfort, care, and support to our family. One area that was particularly special to us was their nightly meal on the house. What a blessing to know that we could leave Penny in the hands of her wonderful doctors and nurses and go back “home” to enjoy a hot meal. We are forever grateful to have left a family of three, but we knew our time at the RMHC was not over. This blessing stirred us to want to give back. Each year for Penny’s birthday, with the help of her loving grandparents, we’ve made it a tradition to come to the RMHC to provide a meal for its guests.
For Penny’s 4th birthday this year, she really began to gain an understand of who we are helping out and why we are doing this. She is especially fond of the RMHC toy room! We hope that our story not only causes you to see God’s hand in sweet Penny’s life as He protected her from a stroke, but also helps you discover God’s faithful and loving hand in your own lives. There are so many ways you can give back to your local RMHC — just ask!
Click HERE to donate to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Ohio.