Matthew's Story
It is often very difficult to diagnosis a serious illness in a child. That was the case with Matthew who lives in a small town outside of Anchorage. After numerous visits, his doctor sent Matthew to a hospital in Anchorage for further testing. His mom packed for an overnight stay.
When the tests came, they learned Matthew had cancer and instead of going home, Matthew needed to fly to Seattle the next day. They had a few short hours to prepare.
Matthew’s aunt gathered a week’s worth of clothes for Matthew and his mom before their plane left before dawn. Matthew’s dad, who was working in a rural area of Alaska, didn’t even find out they were headed to Seattle until mom and son were well on their way.
Fortunately, the hospital in Alaska made arrangements for the family to stay at the Ronald McDonald House when they arrived.
“It was hard that first month,” said Maria. “All the bad news…it all went too fast. I kept asking the doctors: how do you know it’s cancer? I couldn’t believe it. I’m so glad there’s the House. It really helps being around other families going through the same thing. The House does a lot for the kids, especially all the activities. When Matthew is happy, it makes me happy,” said Maria. “It’s hard being so far away, but it’s good because Matthew feels comfortable here. Many of the other children at the House are undergoing similar treatments, so he doesn’t feel he’s different.