My name is Felicia Woods and my husband Freddie and I have five beautiful children ages 12, 7, 3, 2 and 11 months old. Our youngest, Zechariah, is our
little miracle and the reason we’re connected with Ronald McDonald House Albany.
Freddie and I both work as principals, with a combined 26 years in education between us. Funny enough, I went into labor with Zechariah on the first day of school in 2024. I worked through the morning—greeted over 400 students, ran three assemblies—and told my staff around 5:30 p.m. that I should probably head to the hospital. Two minutes after arriving, Zechariah was born!
Through early testing, we had learned that our baby would very likely be born with Down syndrome. We were also told that he had a hole in his heart and potential issues with his digestive system that might require surgery once he was born. The predictions were correct, and just a few days after birth, Zechariah had emergency surgery followed by a 23-day stay in the NICU at Albany Med.
After five good months at home, Zechariah started showing signs of infant heart failure. He needed surgery again, but first he had to fight off RSV, the flu and then COVID! It was a scary time, but eventually he had his surgery, and while typical recovery is about two weeks, Zechariah—such a fighter!— was home in five days.
Throughout this journey, Ronald McDonald House Albany was there for us every step of the way, offering meals and room for us to rest and recharge. Your support lifted a huge burden off of us as we did everything we had to do to care for our other children, manage work, and still show up for Zechariah in the hospital.
In May, our family was granted a much-needed stay at the Ronald McDonald House Family Retreat at Krantz Cottage. It was our first time in Lake George, and we loved it! The Family Retreat was beautiful and fully stocked, and the gift certificates we received from local businesses—arcades, bowling, restaurants, and more—made the trip so special.
With a big, busy family, we’re hardly ever all home at the same time. Our stay at the Ronald McDonald House Family Retreat gave us the gift of uninterrupted time together. This was our first real getaway since all the surgeries and chaos last year, and it gave our family the joy and normalcy we desperately needed.
Thank you for making all of this possible. Whether it’s a comfortable place for a parent to rest in the hospital or a chance for the whole family to get away to Lake George, your support gives families like mine a sense of peace and the strength to keep going.
