The Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House, which was the first one to open 51 years ago, is hosting dozens of families with children who are hospitalized — and that includes one very grateful family from Florida.
There’s always something fun to do at the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House, whether it’s playing air hockey or building things.
“This place is massive, and they just have so much for the kids to do, which is amazing. The kids are never bored here,” Jesalyn Snitkoff said.
It’s a relief for Snitkoff that two of her children, Charlotte and Brady, can be just kids while her 1-year-old Jordan is hospitalized a couple of blocks away at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“He has good days and bad days,” Snitkoff said. “For the most part, he’s stable, which sometimes that’s all we can ask.”
Jordan, who was born prematurely, has Down syndrome and a number of serious health problems, including brain damage, lung disease and a lymphatic disorder, which his mom says “causes him to swell significantly.”
“It puts pressure on his lungs,” Snitkoff said.
The family was living in Melbourne, Florida, when Jordan was born, and transferred to a hospital in Orlando that wasn’t equipped to take care of him. The Orlando hospital recommended CHOP to Snitkoff.
“They knew CHOP had a great lymphatic surgery team here,” Snitkoff said. “They said, ‘We can keep you here, but we can’t do anything for him further.’ So we ended up med-jetted to CHOP Dec. 27.”
Snitkoff and her husband arrived in Philadelphia with a critically sick baby at CHOP, and the other kids had no place to go until a social worker at CHOP arranged for them to go to the Philly Ronald McDonald House.
“If it was not for the Ronald McDonald House, I don’t know, I don’t know how we would have done it,” Snitkoff said.
Snitkoff said everyone at the RMHC in Philadelphia was welcoming, providing meals and schooling for her children.
“I was pretty blown away,” Snitkoff said.
Snitkoff says it’s a huge relief to be able to visit the hospital every day and know there’s a place to come home to, where there are dozens of other families also with sick children.
“We’ve grown to really love the people here,” Snitkoff said.
She’s filled with gratitude for her home away from home.
“There’s no words. There’s not. There’s no words,” Snitkoff said. “I don’t know how any of this would be possible [without the Ronald McDonald House].”
It’s become the family’s new happy place.
Jordan is no longer in intensive care. He just celebrated his first birthday on Sept. 3 at CHOP.
Heart in the House highlights the essential support Ronald McDonald House chapters provide to families across the Greater Philadelphia Region, New Jersey, and Delaware. To make a donation, visit heartinthehouse.org.
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