Meet the Miller Family
From Smithers, BC
On the day she was born, baby Mabel needed to fly from Smithers to Vancouver for urgent care at BC Children’s Hospital, where she stayed for 33 nights. Since then, the Miller family has stayed at RMH BC four different times, for several different surgeries and procedures, some of them unexpected. During these stressful times when things could change in an instant, RMH BC has been a safe haven and home away from home for the family to depend on.
Thinking back to their first stay, mom Susan remembers disorientation and uncertainty: “We had no idea how long we would be in Vancouver. We found out an hour into Mabel’s life that we would need to come here, and we thought it would be a week or so, but as the days went on, it started to sink in.” They were sleeping in the hospital, waking up to the sound of crying babies and hospital noise. They didn’t have a close community in Vancouver, and they didn’t know where to turn. When they heard about Ronald McDonald House, they were at first reluctant to check in, but as soon as they took the tour they felt immediate relief. “We could rest!” remembers Susan. “Physical rest is so important. We were able to take care of ourselves better.”
While they were not certain what the outcome would be for their daughter, programs like Family Meals helped the Millers take care of their basic needs so that they could better focus on Mabel. They were relieved to have a home base where they could order necessities, as they had left home in a rush with no time to pack. And as deeply independent people, they were relieved to find out that they could build their stay around their schedule, coming and going at any time. “There’s privacy if you want it, or this community if you want it,” says Susan.
As they began to process their situation, they became truly grateful for the kindness of staff and volunteers, and they took comfort in seeing families who were experiencing medical challenges, yet still having fun with their kids.
Over the past year, the Millers’ journey as new parents has continued to be unpredictable. “Mabel has been in Vancouver, and in the hospital more than she’s been at home,” says Susan. Their last visit was a surprise visit, and very traumatic for all of them – and they appreciated the stability of having a familiar place to stay, just steps away from the hospital. They have had grandparents come to stay and help out as well, bringing a bit of home to Vancouver.
As Mabel continues to grow stronger, the Millers want to do all they can to spread the word about RMH, and the difference it makes to families like theirs. “All our friends and family now know about the House. It makes things easier when they are not easy. This the only place in BC that we can get her care, and it’s really important to have consistency, familiarity, and a home away from home when you have such an unpredictable journey. It’s the best place to be when you don’t want to be there.”