Keeping Families Close
®
News FALL/WINTER 2023
WITH GRATITUDE FROM THE ZOLL FAMILY Parker was born into our family on February 27, 2023. His delivery was routine and we were discharged. But at home the next day, Parker began to show signs of being ill. With both of us being medical technicians at Michigan Medicine along with mother’s intuition, we knew we had to take him back to C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital right away. After a snowy hour-long drive, we arrived at the ER. Within 22 minutes, Parker was being wheeled into emergency surgery to repair a bowel obstruction caused by an intestinal malrotation that he was born with unknowingly. Parker’s surgery to repair his bowel and remove his appendix was successful, however, he had to stay at Mott Hospital for two weeks to recover. We spent the first three days of his recovery at his bedside. With the guidance of our social worker, we were placed on the waitlist for a room at the Ronald McDonald House across the street. The same House that Robert stayed in as a young boy when his sister was hospitalized. While on the waitlist, we stayed at a hotel about 15 minutes from the hospital. We took shifts to be near Parker. Our 3-year-old, Paisley, stayed with her grandma during this time as the hotel and hospital were not conducive to a three-year-old running around and playing. Within a week, we got a room in the House. The first thing we did after we checked in was cook ourselves dinner. It was such a treat to go into the stocked kitchen and cook one of our comfort foods – spaghetti – after eating out for every meal the week before. We also appreciated the prepared home-cooked meals that we could grab in the evenings after a long day at the hospital. Paisley was able to join us at the House. It was so nice to be together as a family where she felt comfortable to play and sleep. She loved to play in the playroom and getting a new toy from the toy closet was the highlight of her stay. Today, Parker is doing great, and we are all thriving at home. As we reflect on that uncertain time for our family, we are grateful for the sense of comfort RMHCAA gave us when Letter from our CEO 2 everything was up in the air. Board of Directors 2 RMHCAA is not just a place to stay, but a provider of meals, a Our Mission 3 community of support, and has a coffee station that is a “lifeBattle for the Houses 3 changer”. Paisley also got a blanket from the RMHCAA Hospitality Volunteering 4, 5 Cart on that first night we spent in the NICU with her brother that Ways to Give 6 is still her favorite blanket. RMHCAA will always be more than a Third Party Events 7 House to our family. Red Shoe Affair 8 With Gratitude - The Zoll Family - Kayla, Robert, Paisley, and Parker
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