Marcy and James Walker from Marion, Iowa expected to give birth to fraternal twins in June of 2016. What they didn’t expect was for baby Beau and baby Genevieve to arrive in February, nearly four months early. Balancing newborn babies and careers seemed like an uphill battle. Luckily just a few miles away from their home was the Ronald McDonald Family Room at UnityPoint St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids.
Without the Family Room just feet away from Beau and Genevieve, Marcy would have missed out on important moments with the kids such as skin to skin contact, “I would get up at 5:00 am every day, drive to St. Luke’s, be with the kids, and then head to work” said Marcy. After work Marcy would head back to the Family Room for dinner, “We were able to get an extra hour or so each day with our babies which adds up over time. James and I didn’t want to miss a thing.” Since the Family Room provides a hot meal every night for dinner, the Walkers didn’t even have to leave the hospital for food, snacks, or drinks. Everything they needed was taken care of so they could focus on Beau and Genevieve.
Today Marcy and James consider themselves graduates of the Family Room and now love giving back to current families. Marcy explains, “James and I see Ronald McDonald House Charities as an extension of our own home. The Family Room was there for us and provided the necessities to continue about our everyday life. Helping cook meals and giving back to the charity is our favorite thing to do as a family. Our efforts hopefully encourage other families at the hospital who are going through a tough and emotional time.”
