To put it simply, the Nelson-Kite family from Happy Valley, Oregon just love spending time together. “As a family of five, we enjoy cooking and spending time outside. We have three young children who are all such a blessing. Honestly, we just love being a family” said mother Adelene Nelson. For a close-knit family like the Nelson-Kites, it became obvious they might have to be apart when their youngest child Marcella was born with bilateral complex clubfoot. Local doctors in Oregon casted Marcella nearly twenty different times to try correcting the issue, all to no avail. The next step would be to travel 1,900 miles to see doctors in Iowa City, Iowa with the hopes of finally correcting Marcella’s feet.
Knowing the club foot corrections could take some time, Adelene realized that financially they couldn’t have stayed in a hotel for a long period of time. “Being so far away from home was tough, but the Ronald McDonald House made it so much more bearable. Without RMHC-EIWI, we wouldn’t have been able to bring Marcella to Iowa City for the procedures.” Staying at the Ronald McDonald House provided more than just a room for the Nelson-Kites. They felt safe during their stay and were so thankful to have a full kitchen in which to cook their own meals when time allowed.
After two months of treatment, Marcella was cleared to go back home to the Northwest. While she may not remember her time at the Ronald McDonald House, her mom made plenty of memories in Iowa City that will last a lifetime, “My favorite memory is meeting all these amazing people including families, volunteers and staff members. We have made lifelong friends in this House who we will forever love. We are so grateful for the Ronald McDonald House.”
