Family Stories


Mau Family

Heart, Healing, Home

April 26th, 2024

In February of 2023, five-year-old Nicolas was admitted to Children’s Wisconsin for Congestive Heart Failure, underlying cause, Dilated Cardiomyopathy. After staying two nights with him in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), the Mau family was referred to Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin. After 25 days in the hospital, Nicolas was released with medical management. Just two months later,…


Read more about Heart, Healing, Home


Schultz Family

Growing Together

October 12th, 2023

Over the years, our Ronald McDonald House® has been a home away from home for Matthew, Kristin, Caiden, Kaylee and Katherine Schultz for 502 nights. As new parents, my wife Kristin and I knew very little of the world surrounding the hospital or the Ronald McDonald House. Sure, we had seen the coin boxes at McDonald’s® and heard about ways…


Read more about Growing Together


Sharing a Safe Haven - The Warrens Family Story

Sharing a Safe Haven (The Warrens Family Story)

April 19th, 2023

Shortly after her 2nd birthday, Lydia Warrens was diagnosed with clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK). A rare diagnosis, CCSK represents 2-4% of all renal cancer diagnoses in children and can quickly spread from the kidney to other organs, including the bone, lungs, brain and soft tissues. Lydia and her mom, Sara, were transported via helicopter from Green Bay…


Read more about Sharing a Safe Haven (The Warrens Family Story)


Charlie and Nehemiah

Living Full Lives (The Salchert Family Story)

January 5th, 2023

“We began our foster care/adoption journey in 2012. Given that we have medically complex/fragile children, we are frequent flyers at Children’s Wisconsin and the Ronald McDonald House®. What a gift both places continue to be! This past November into December, our Charlie was inpatient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). It was exhausting, and not knowing whether his lungs and…


Read more about Living Full Lives (The Salchert Family Story)


Lussi Family

Meeting a Big Family’s Big Needs (The Lussi Family Story)

November 11th, 2022

It was a routine doctor visit for a 20-week ultrasound that changed everything for Alaskan natives, Brittany and Jeremy Lussi, the parents of five boys (Liam, Seth, Jack and twins Rhet and Rory), with twins Beau and Theo on the way. The ultrasound revealed that Theo had a congenital heart defect that would require surgical intervention within his first weeks…


Read more about Meeting a Big Family’s Big Needs (The Lussi Family Story)


Steinbach Family

Priceless Peace of Mind (The Steinbach Family Story)

April 1st, 2022

By Alexa Steinbach Before she was born, our daughter Elsie was diagnosed with a complex congenital heart defect known as Tetralogy of Fallot with Pulmonary Atresia and Major Aortopulmonary Collateral Arteries (MAPCAs). Elsie was born on December 14, 2020, at the Froedtert Birth Center and immediately transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Children’s Wisconsin (CW). Although we…


Read more about Priceless Peace of Mind (The Steinbach Family Story)


Ellie HomeWord B 2021

I’m Still Standing (Ellie’s Story)

November 2nd, 2021

When Brianna and Andy took their kids sledding in early March, they did not anticipate a fun family outing turning into a nightmare. Their seven-year-old daughter, Ellie, was riding downhill with a friend when their sled hit an icy patch and sent them full-speed into a tree. Ellie was unconscious, missing teeth and had an extensive leg injury. She was…


Read more about I’m Still Standing (Ellie’s Story)


TA Moms HomeWord A 2021

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

November 2nd, 2021

Editor’s Note: At the time of publication, Alex and family had to say goodbye to sweet Ava. With the family’s permission, we share this story, honoring Ava’s memory. When you look at the smiling faces of Rachel, Jessica and Alex (pictured above, left to right), you see three strong women with an unbreakable bond. They affectionately refer to themselves as…


Read more about A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words


Allen Family

65 Nights, Infinite Love (The Allen Family Story)

November 13th, 2020

With 37 weeks considered a term pregnancy for twins, Kristyn Allen was ready to welcome her daughters into the world at 38 weeks. Braelyn and Brielle joined mom, dad Greg, and big sister Bailey on December 21, 2018. Kristyn had an easy delivery and both twins seemed healthy. Braelyn, “Twin A,” weighed seven pounds, three ounces and Brielle weighed five…


Read more about 65 Nights, Infinite Love (The Allen Family Story)


Miles Pearson

Giving Back to the House that Became Home (Miles’ Story)

June 5th, 2020

On November 2, 2011, Lindsey and Rob Pearson welcomed Miles into the world. Arriving three months early, Miles spent the first weeks of his life at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center in Neenah, Wisconsin. Eventually, Lindsey had to return to work on a part-time basis, and that’s where she was when she received the phone call that would turn the Pearsons’…


Read more about Giving Back to the House that Became Home (Miles’ Story)


Newsletter Sign Up

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.



BBB accredited charity charity navigator 4 star charity guidestar
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Wisconsin will not trade, share or sell a donor’s personal information with anyone else, nor send donor mailings on behalf of other organizations.
® RMHC, The following trademarks used herein are owned by McDonald's Corporation and its affiliates; McDonald's, Ronald McDonald House Charities , Ronald McDonald House Charities Logo, RMHC, Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room, and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile.
Ronald McDonald House Charities