TAMPA, Florida — We’re all familiar with the smiling face of Ronald McDonald, but at the house that bears his name, the focus is on the smiles of children and their families.
On a recent visit, 3-year-old Katilyn Arriola was dancing with her father in the hallway of the Ronald McDonald House on Davis Islands. Watching her, it’s hard to imagine that just 10 weeks ago, Kaitlyn was in a Tampa General Hospital bed in desperate need of a kidney transplant.
As Kaitlyn puts it, her mom was the “superpower” donor: “Mommy’s doctors pulled out her superpowers and put it in mine,” Kaitlyn explains, patting her mother’s stomach and then pointing to her own.
Any parent knows, that when your kid is sick, you don’t want to leave their side and stress levels soar.
“The whole world just falls apart for that moment,” said Kaitlyn’s father, Christian Arriola.
And that’s where the Ronald McDonald House comes in. The services found there can help put that world back together.
“When a family is going through a time of crisis, we really are just trying to take the load off; just take a little piece of that burden off of them,” said Lisa Suprenand, CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities Tampa.
The Ronald McDonald House on Davis Islands is just a block away from Tampa General. It gives families a welcoming and convenient place to stay. There’s also no need to worry about meals because volunteer groups cook and serve them up every day. All of this is free of charge for families.
It may not be home, but if your child is in the hospital for weeks, even months — the Ronald McDonald House is the next best thing.
This family from Miami, says it’s been a blessing on their medical journey with Kaitlyn.
“It really relieves a lot of stress…it’s just nice to be able to have a place that you can really call home,” said Kaitlyn’s mother, Liz Rodriguez. Christian Arriola adds, “They want to make it a home away from home and it’s just nice knowing that you don’t have to worry about any of that other stuff.”
There are four Ronald McDonald Houses in Tampa Bay and since 1978, they’ve served more than 50,000 families.
10 Tampa Bay is proud to support the work of Ronald McDonald House with a $2,000 grant from our parent company TEGNA’s Foundation.