1 minute read
A Main House Family Story
Nolan Paul (left with Lucas Paul) has been “an amazing big brother to Lucas ever since he was born,” mom Andrea said. Lucas is now 6 years old and loves playing with cars, she added.
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Before Lucas Paul was even a year old, he had already had two heart surgeries and spent months in the hospital.
At just three days old, Lucas had a successful first heart surgery. At seven months old, he had his second heart surgery. But this time, he went into cardiac arrest requiring the support of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) provided through C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
His parents Christian and Andrea Paul went numb over their baby boy’s horrific medical situation, Andrea said. And to add to their stress, they were trying to care for their other two-year-old son, commuting over an hour from their home. It was then when their social worker suggested they stay at the Main House of Ronald McDonald House Charities Ann Arbor. “We thought maybe that would help us stay close to both of our boys,” Andrea said.
She had no idea they would need RMHCAA for almost four months. Andrea said that being able to come and go as they like made it feel “like their home” and their toddler was able to get much-needed naps and have down time in the playroom.
“It made all the difference for [us] to not have to continually pack up [our] things to head home,” Andrea said.
“It was everything,” she added. “Grabbing coffee so we could be with Lucas within minutes; having dinners so we didn’t have to make another decision or incur more cost; and having a scene different than the hospital where we could get rest. To top it off, we were there at the holidays and RMHC went over the top with the holiday shop to choose gifts for our boys and [the] special gift bag we [received]. It was just so much love.”
Andrea added that it was a blessing to be able to have Lucas's brother with their family with him being a young age.
Lucas is now 6 years old and he loves playing with cars, trucks and baseball with his friends and big brother.
