It was her worst fear: At 25 weeks pregnant, Nadine Hobart felt for her stomach. Her baby had stopped moving. At the hospital, Nadine was diagnosed with preeclampsia. Before she could process what was happening, her vision went blurry and the doctors told her that ready or not, it was time to give birth.
After her son Langston was born by emergency C-section, Nadine was brought to the Ronald McDonald Family Room at St. Luke’s where she would spend the next 100 days. At first, she was skeptical about using the Room, but little by little, she began to appreciate the warm meals, hot showers, laundry facilities and the steady stream of free snacks, drinks and toiletries.
During her time at the Family Room, Nadine was forced to resign her job in the school district after she couldn’t take a reassignment. With her income slashed and a new child depending on her, the Ronald McDonald Family Room was a blessing.
“It’s hard to rely on someone else when you’re used to being independent,” she says. “But sometimes it’s OK to feel down, to cry, to rely on other people. The Ronald McDonald Family Room helped me realize that and it made it OK to ask for help.”
Nadine and Langston are both doing well back at home. Like many premature babies, he still has some complications, but he is constantly improving. Nadine reports that Langston is beginning to walk and trying to talk. “He says ‘da-da’ and he loves to clap,” she says. “It’s really nice to be home.”
