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Love Notes: The Bridge

September 7th, 2017

This post was written by Amanda, a mother of two and an RMHC guest. The original post can be found on her personal blog.

Bridge

 

The picture above is of the pedestrian bridge that connects Ronald McDonald House and CHW. This week again I walked this bridge multiple times and got to thinking of my many crossings of this bridge over the last year.

Our first times visiting RMH was when we were visiting Caroline and her family there. They would tell us about all the things RMH offered and how it could help us however we worried about taking a spot away from someone who needed it more and we didn’t understand how helpful it could be to us on our journey. However last September the girls were both scheduled for surgery and Lydia would need to stay in the hospital after while Jilli would be discharged and Jilli could not spend the night in Lydia’s hospital room so we decided we would give RMH a try.
Since then we have spent at least one night there each month. RMH has become our second home. A place Jilli cries every time we check out and a place she counts down the days until we go back. A place were we have connected with so many other medical families and where the staff and volunteers have become our cheerleaders and support.
We walk the bridge between RMH and CHW often. I joke that it is my work out plan (the picture doesn’t do justice to the different inclines the bridge has).
I have cried as I have walked the bridge in frustration of genetics appointments or how sick one of the girls were. I have celebrated walking the bridge as we are discharged after several days in the hospital. I have battled with medical equipment as I have walked the bridge attempting to get it to work properly. I have ran the bridge taking one of my kids to the ER. I have joked and laughed with friends and have some funny stories going over the bridge. I have also walked the bridge heading to the hospital to support friends who are in the hospital with their kiddo. I have been filled with anxiety walking the bridge as I wheel my kids across ready to hand them over to a surgeon.
I have walked the bridge so many times over this last year… I have felt so many different emotions walking the bridge but one I feel the most as I walk across it is grateful. Grateful for our medical team and all they do. Grateful for RMH and the amazing place that it is with the awesome staff, volunteers and families. And grateful for the bridge that safely connects those two places that mean a lot to us. 

 


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