RMHC has given me a home away from our home in Toledo while our son, Rowan, has been in the NICU at Children’s for the last three months. It’s so nice to be able to have a comfortable place to live right across the street. Thank you! – Amanda, Rowan’s mom

Amanda and Justin were expecting their first child:  a baby boy! However, their ultrasound appointment came with some unsettling news:  their baby’s kidneys appeared dilated. Specialists explained that there was a problem with the baby and that she would need to travel from their home in Toledo, OH for expert care in Cincinnati.

Amanda began weekly trips to Cincinnati for amino infusions, something to help her baby grow. However, on her fifth visit, her water broke. At just 29 weeks along, doctors at UC Hospital said that she would need to stay until the baby came in order to make sure she wasn’t far from them when he was born. She spent three weeks at UC Hospital, able to walk around but not leave her room or the hospital.

At 32 weeks along, Amanda felt contractions. She was put on bed rest but after just 24 hours of relief, they started again. Justin, who was back home in Toledo working, raced to be by Amanda’s side. Unfortunately, he just missed the birth of their son by ten minutes. Rowan was 4 lb, .07 oz when he arrived. Amanda got to hold him for a few minutes before he was transferred to Cincinnati Children’s.

Due to our wait list, it took almost a month before we were able to welcome Amanda and Justin into our House. Now that they are here, they are grateful for the difference it makes in their lives. While Justin has returned to Toledo to work, he is comforted knowing that Amanda is just a short walk to the hospital, where she spends countless hours with Rowan.

Amanda enjoys the comforts that our House provides her when there is such a long road ahead for her son. “Being in our House helps me have an escape. Eating the meals, especially the salad bar, make me feel good about what I’m eating.”

Rowan is now a month old and weighs 5 lbs 14 oz. While he continues to grow stronger, he will need a kidney transplant once he reaches around 20 pounds. Amanda and Justin will bring him back to Cincinnati for that surgery and thanks to you, we will welcome them with open arms back into our House.