The Phelps Family
Mikai was born with double inlet left ventricle which affects the valves and chambers of the heart. This means he only has one working pumping chamber in his heart, essentially leaving him with half of a heart requiring long surgeries for a newborn. Mike and Ashley Phelps thought long and hard about which hospital would […]
The Walker Family
2022 It has been over 6 years since twins Beauregard Lee and Genevieve Rose were delivered by emergency C-section more than 16 weeks ahead of schedule at just 23 weeks and 4 days. Marcy and James Walker found themselves juggling work, newborn babies, and trips to the NICU. Marcy recalls sleeping on a hospital bench […]
Ceci & Family
Cecilia (Ceci) may only be 16 years old, but she has gone through a lot in her lifetime. Born with Spina Bifida, Hydrocephalus, and a lengthy list of other diagnoses, Ceci takes 15 different medications a day to stay healthy and out of the hospital. She has undergone 76 major surgeries and often must travel […]
Alisha and Dallas
Spending multiple weeks away from home for outpatient treatment can be challenging. Luckily, Alisha Moffett and her son Dallas learned that the Ronald McDonald House of Iowa City was just minutes away from the Center for Disabilities and Development. Alisha, a single mother traveling over 80 miles from their home in Waterloo, Iowa, was grateful […]
The Wood Family
Chloey Wood was on her way to work when she immediately felt something was wrong. She was pregnant and terrified something had happened to her baby. Chloey and her husband Austin were transferred from their home in Waterloo, Iowa to UnityPoint Health- St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids. Their daughter, Gabriella, was born 12 weeks […]
The Kaufman Family
Taylor and Levi Kaufman found comfort in the Ronald McDonald Family Room at St. Luke’s Hospital when their son, Leo, was born at just 26 weeks. Leo spent 85 days in the NICU, and Taylor spent 80 of those days in the hospital by his side. The couple were 60 miles away from home and […]
The Carlson Family
Chad Carlson’s bear hunting trip was put on the back burner when his wife, Lindsay’s, routine prenatal appointment turned into an emergency procedure. The couple from Ottumwa, Iowa, learned that their baby was having complications, and he would need to be delivered at 33 weeks and five days. Their newborn son, David, spent the next […]
The Jenkins Family
The Jenkins Family adopted Andrew from Hungary when he was 5 years old. He was born with a bone marrow disorder that required him to have regular blood transfusions and steroids until his recent bone marrow transplant. After returning to the states, the Jenkins established his medical care team at the University of Iowa Children’s […]
The Junge-Housman Family
Olivia Housman was born at just 24 weeks gestation due to complications in Jodi’s pregnancy. As what is known as a micro baby, she stayed a total of three and a half months at St. Luke’s Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before Olivia was born, Jodi didn’t realize that St. Luke’s had a Ronald McDonald […]
The Williams Family
Emma Williams was born in Iowa City at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, over 120 miles away from her home in Cambridge, Iowa. Her parents, Megan and Cory, knew Emma was going to have an extended stay at the hospital due to complications at birth. Fortunately, they were able to stay at […]
