Julie’s story is a reminder that families shouldn’t have to face their hardest moments alone.
For Julie Williams, becoming a mother of two was filled with the everyday joys and challenges of raising young children. But after moving to Upstate New York, Julie noticed something wasn’t right with her two-month-old daughter. She began to notice that her baby wasn’t using her left arm and kept a close eye on her. Then, one day, an incident led Julie to bring her daughter to the hospital—and everything changed.
After first visiting an emergency room in Schenectady, Julie and her daughter were referred to Albany Medical Center for further evaluation. There, doctors reviewed her daughter’s medical history and began running additional tests. What they discovered was far more serious than Julie could have imagined. Imaging revealed bone deterioration in multiple areas of her daughter’s body, including her shoulders, elbows, knees, and hips. Her daughter was admitted to the hospital for further testing and treatment, including a 10-day course of IV penicillin.
While her daughter received care, Julie faced another challenge: where would she stay?
Julie had recently moved to the area and had her three-year-old daughter with her, but no one else was available to care for her. A hospital social worker helped Julie explore her options and connected her with the Ronald McDonald House.
Although Julie was not initially sure whether her family would qualify to stay, the House worked with her family to find a solution.
“I didn’t get over there until maybe 3 o’clock in the morning the first night,” Julie recalled. “They had already spoken with Erin, the House Manager, and everything was ready. They showed me my room, where I could put my things, where the laundry was, where I could put food in the refrigerator, and they explained everything. They gave me the key and said, ‘If you need anything, come find us.’”
For Julie, that welcome meant more than simply having a place to sleep. It gave her a safe and comfortable place to return to while her daughter was in the hospital, and a place where her other daughter could still be a kid.
“The staff and the other people who were staying there, because we were all going through something, we all understood,” Julie said.
The Ronald McDonald House also gave Julie access to the Family Room at the hospital, where she could find snacks, meals, and a welcoming space during long days at her daughter’s bedside.
“It’s the little things that made it so much easier,” Julie shared. “My daughter only eats macaroni and cheese, and they always had macaroni and cheese cups.”
Those small comforts made a big difference during an incredibly difficult time.
At the House, Julie and her three-year-old daughter made use of the playground and other spaces designed for families. Having those opportunities allowed her daughter to play, have fun, and maintain a sense of normalcy while her sister was receiving care.
“She was still able to be a kid,” Julie said. “I never wanted her to feel out of place or like I was paying more attention to her sister just because she was the one in the hospital.”
For Julie, the Ronald McDonald House provided something she desperately needed at a time when so much of her life felt uncertain: peace of mind.
“You don’t know how hard things are until you go through them,” she said. “To go through them knowing where I’m going to be able to lay my head—it made such a difference. I had just moved to the area. I didn’t know Upstate New York. I didn’t know where I was staying in Schenectady. To have access to the Ronald McDonald House during one of the hardest times in my life, when I could have lost my daughter, meant everything.”
Julie left the House with a new appreciation for the people who make its mission possible.
“I started telling people, ‘If you get the chance when you’re at McDonald’s to round up, please do. The little things that money goes toward, I would love for everybody to donate.’”
And perhaps most importantly, Julie learned that sometimes, when you’re facing a crisis, you don’t have to face it alone.
“Like when a blessing comes around, you don’t question it. Let the people who are here to help you, help you.”
Because of the generosity of our supporters, families like Julie’s have a place to turn when they need it most, a place to rest, recharge, find comfort, and stay close to the medical care their children need.
