Home, Sweet Home

Oct 1, 2019 | People

[title subtitle=”WORDS Dwain Hebda
IMAGES courtesy Ronald McDonald Family Room”][/title]

A woman and her husband move wearily, noiselessly down the sterile hallway. Today has been draining physically, but especially emotionally. The doctor says their daughter is getting better, but that’s hard to see. And the longer they wait in this hospital, the road to wellness feels a little rougher.

Their little girl knows why she’s here and even though the staff is nice as can be, she cries for wanting to go home, to play with her friends like she used to. She misses her room, her cat. It cuts deeply into Mom and Dad to hear it.

To the naked eye, this hallway is just like any other hallway in the gleaming hospital, but the couple knows differently. For down this hallway lies a respite, a haven where they can sit comfortably, rest and breathe. Down this hallway lies the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Mercy Hospital.

“Primarily, the families we see come from Arkansas and Oklahoma [but] we have had families from as far away as Virginia come to adopt a baby and that baby is in the NICU,” says Allison Davis, program manager. “We’re not going to turn down anyone based on where they’re coming from.”

Ronald McDonald House’s worldwide mission is to provide accommodations for families of children undergoing medical treatment. Families can stay overnight at one of the homes at little – or, as in Fort Smith’s case, no cost – while enjoying a hot meal or using laundry and shower facilities in a home-like setting. The Family Room provides a welcome break from waiting rooms, vending machines and other stressors of having a child in the hospital.

Most importantly, it allows families to be close to their child during their treatment, something that many could not afford to do if they had to shoulder the cost of staying in a hotel.

“We are located in Mercy Hospital on the fourth floor of the labor and delivery tower here,” Allison explains. “We have four overnight rooms that are available for families. Also, a communal living space with a living room, dining room, fully stocked kitchen, shower and bathroom, washer and dryer. We also have a quiet room that’s like a library, but moms will go in there to pump if they need to do that.”

There’s also conspicuous technology in all the spaces: a large TV in the kitchen that doubles as an announcement center and speakers throughout the space to announce dinner or allow rooms to communicate with one another. Technology can sometimes be thought of as cold, but here it’s just the opposite. Each device is a reminder of the community support that the Family Room inspires.

“I just love being able to see the families watch TV and bond in a time when they’re struggling,” Allison says. “It does bring some joy and laughter, even if it’s just for an hour or two. I love that about it.”

The technology is the result of Propak Cares, the philanthropic branch of Fort Smith-based Propak, a national warehousing and logistics company. As its philanthropic arm, Propak Cares looks for ways to get involved in the communities throughout its service area.

Denver Dodd is technical product owner with Firebend, a spin-off company from Propak and a member of Propak Cares. He said when approached by Susan Pruitt, Ronald McDonald Family Room development coordinator, about improving technology there, the group mindset quickly conceived something broader.

“Susan came up with the idea of doing something with technology and it evolved into the smart house, smart room, organically,” Denver said. “We just took all the pieces together of what it would take to do a smart home – speakers, projector, get everyone in the same room.”

Denver spearheaded the process which included researching components, platting the system, purchasing the hardware, overseeing installation and providing ongoing technical support.

The effort installed smart TVs in the communal areas and a projector and screen in the living room. Chromebooks are found in each of the sleeping rooms, allowing families to stay in touch via email or social media. A Google Home Hub improves communication throughout the facility while Home Minis in each bedroom allow families to set a preferred ambiance.

“I know a lot of our families set an alarm through the Home Hub Mini, or they play music,” Allison says. “I know one family even played some white noise to help them go to sleep at night.”

The project happened with dazzling speed – from idea to completion in just a couple of months – and earned Propak Cares the 2019 Lily Award, named in memory of Lillian Paige Pruitt, infant daughter of Susan and Clay Pruitt. The Lily Award annually recognizes a person or persons whose work impacts the families of the Ronald McDonald Family Room.

The project also sets the family room apart in the Ronald McDonald family. As far as anyone can tell, the Fort Smith operation is the first Ronald McDonald smart facility anywhere. That designation is looking to be short-lived, however, as the project is being adopted by Propak Cares in other communities for their local Ronald McDonald facilities.

“We plan on expanding this next year to Northwest Arkansas,” Denver says. “Propak Cares is kind of all over the place. We’re helping with St. Jude’s [in Memphis]. We do a lot of work there and Ronald McDonald House actually has a house at St. Jude’s. So, the idea kind of sparked maybe we go there too and help.”

There have been other payoffs as well. Denver said while he was aware of Ronald McDonald House, he’d never volunteered there until this project came along. Now, he and some of his colleagues join the list of other corporate citizens and community groups that bring in meals for the families. And when he does, he sees the fruits of Propak Cares’ labors at work every day.

“I’m humbled and elated,” he says. “You don’t realize how technology can change everyone’s day-to-day life. Just bringing that to people who don’t have to worry about technology, bringing their own computer for work, it’s all there for them already. I was just elated to see what it took on.

“We’re wanting to grow it even more. The residents there at Ronald McDonald Family Room love it. We’ve received nothing but good feedback. I want to see it grow.”

How You Can Help
Ronald McDonald House Charities Arkoma supports the Ronald McDonald House in Fayetteville, Family Rooms in Fort Smith and Rogers and a mobile unit focused on oral care for children. Volunteers are always needed with the Fort Smith room staffed with volunteers from seven a.m. to ten p.m. daily. Corporate, church and other groups may also participate by cooking a meal or assembling wish list items.

The group’s primary annual fundraiser is the Red Shoe Shindig featuring dinner, cocktails, entertainment and presentation of the Lily Award. This year’s event is slated for Nov. 16 at the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith. For details on volunteering, contact marketing@rmhcofarkoma.org; for more information on the Red Shoe Shindig or other fundraising events, please visit rmhcofarkoma.org.

Ronald McDonald Family Room—Fort Smith
Mercy Fort Smith
7301 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Arkansas
479.314.8030

 

 

 

Do South Magazine

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