The House That Love Built

The House That Love Built

Ronald McDonald House Expansion Will Double Capacity

WRITTEN BY HILARY CREAMER

Nothing hits life’s pause button as quickly as a serious illness or injury. But when it’s a child who is sick, parents must carefully balance the needs of the entire family while doing all they can for their child.

It’s not an easy task, but one the Lopinto family of Covington knows all too well. Aimee and Steve Lopinto excitedly welcomed their second child, Anthony, in 2015. Since then, Anthony has had 14 surgeries and countless other medical procedures—all by the tender age of seven.

The Lopinto Family

Anthony was born with lymphatic malformation, a rare disorder that occurs when lymph vessels do not form as they should early in pregnancy. There is no medical consensus on what causes the condition; it is believed to happen at random.

Lymphatic malformation causes Anthony to develop benign masses, or overgrowths, in his body, primarily in his neck and mouth. The masses are painful and can put pressure on nearby body parts. Larger masses have been surgically removed, but he has hundreds of microcysts that will require treatment throughout his life.

“We think Anthony is one in a million, but he is actually one in 4,000 births. Those of us that love him know that he is one of a kind,” Aimee said.

The Lopinto family has managed to navigate Anthony’s multiple hospital stays with the help of the Ronald McDonald House.

“I thought I knew what happened there, but I didn’t really know until we were there ourselves,” Aimee said. “We’ve had food and a comfortable place to shower and rest. And we’ve been in the company of other families on a journey similar to our own. With every surgery, we knew we had a little less to worry about. With their help, we’ve been able to focus on Anthony while staying close to him through all of his procedures. The employees, volunteers, and other families create a special bond. Anthony calls it Mac’s house, but we call it home.”

Ronald McDonald House Charities has helped families like the Lopintos since 1974. RMHC programs are based on the simple idea that a family should be able to focus, without impediment, on the health of their child. RMHC doesn’t charge families to stay in a Ronald McDonald House, but families can make donations if they choose.

RMHC has 380 programs worldwide that have covered more than 1.5 million overnight stays, ranging from one night to several months. The economic benefits for families staying at a Ronald McDonald House can be significant for families facing multiple, extended hospital stays.

Since 1983, the local chapter, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southeast Louisiana, has carried out this mission in a yellow brick house on Canal Street in New Orleans. With a dedicated staff, caring volunteers and generous community benefactors, RMHC-SLA served as a haven of compassion and comfort for families who must travel far from home to access medical care for their child. RMHC-SLA has hosted families from as far away as Japan.

Staying at a Ronald McDonald House with other families in similar circumstances helps families feel supported and less isoated. Many of the volunteers at RMHC-SLA are parents who have stayed in a Ronald McDonald House with their own children, like the Lopintos who volunteer regularly.

Along with emotional support, a Ronald McDonald House serves as a home-away-from-home, where families can rest in private bedrooms, receive home-cooked meals and relieve stress in the play areas. The House staff provides sibling support, art therapy and music programs, and educational and recreational activities.

RMHC also attempts to relieve financial and logistical burdens for guests. Staff and volunteers assume day-to-day tasks and remove concerns over transportation, food shopping, cooking, cleaning and other chores. Families’ saved energy can be spent communicating with medical teams, keeping up with complicated treatments and procedures, and, most importantly, being present to comfort their child.

Now, after nearly 40 years of operation in the “house that love built” on Canal Street, RMHC-SLA is set to double in size, thanks to a partnership with Children’s Hospital New Orleans.

This December, RMHC-SLA will move into two renovated buildings on the Children’s Hospital campus. The guest room capacity will expand 47% to 22 rooms, each with a private bathroom. Other amenities include a larger kitchen, game room, library, two laundry rooms, outdoor barbecue area, ample parking and a dining area able to accommodate 64 people.

“For a sick child, having family nearby is critical to the healing process,” said Cheryl Egan, president of RMHC-SLA board of directors. “We are thrilled that the joint effort with Children’s Hospital will allow us to provide on-campus housing while nearly doubling our impact for families traveling to our area for pediatric medical care.”

The increase in community spaces will allow for more volunteer-led activities, family meet and greets, supervised child activities, and family support services. This larger space will also allow for more social distancing, which is critical for immunocompromised patients.

“This is a true turning point for us in how we are able to deliver on our mission,” said Grace McIntosh, RMHC- SLA executive director.

The importance of proximity to the hospital cannot be overstated.

“Our goal is to alleviate some of the stress and to be a resource for families,” said John R. Nickens IV, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “The partnership with RMHC-SLA will create expanded access to housing for those in need, providing peace of mind and respite for families on our park-like campus that is specially designed for children and families.”

More donations are needed to round out the capital campaign. The total project cost is about $6.3 million, with nearly $1.7 million left to be secured. Naming opportunities and legacy gifts are available to support the new RMHC-SLA House.

“People often donate from their heart but never meet the families,” Aimee said. “Here we are! Through 14 surgeries and 14 stays, we are not sure we could have progressed with Anthony’s medical plan without the Ronald McDonald House. We do whatever we can to raise awareness to how much a donation of money or time means to the families staying at RMHC because we know that firsthand.”

To learn how to support the new Ronald McDonald House, please visit rmhc-sla. org/capital-campaign.