Sean was transferred to the inpatient rehabilitation program at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital where he learned to regain his independence. Once again, the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House has come to the rescue for Sean’s family.
In Spring 2018, Sean Sweeny sustained a traumatic brain injury in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Sean was air-lifted to Reno Nevada’s Renown Medical Center, the closest trauma center that serves the northern sierra community. Sean and his family were 1,100 miles away from their home in Mission Viejo, with no time to plan for the unexpected incident. Realizing that the family was so far away from home, they were referred to the Reno Ronald McDonald House. Sean’s parents Joe and Stephanie, along with their daughter Victoria, lived at the House for 30 days while Sean healed from his injury.
Stephanie shared, “I can’t tell you how much we appreciated having the comforts of home – daily meals, a nice cozy bed to sleep in, the use of a kitchen, just a place to have some quiet time away from the hospital setting. The Ronald McDonald House came to our rescue; it would have been a financial burden to stay in a hotel for a month.”
Fast forward three months and Sean was transferred to the inpatient rehabilitation program at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital where he learned to regain his independence. Once again, the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House has come to the rescue for Sean’s family.
While the family transitioned back to Southern California, they still remained more than 40 miles from home. Joe said, “40 miles doesn’t seem like a long-distance, but when you factor in the traffic, we would be sitting on the freeway for more than an hour each way to hospital and home. Living here at the House gives us the opportunity to participate in Sean’s daily therapy sessions”.
The Sweeny’s called our House their home for more than 60 nights. Our house was built on the simple idea that nothing else should matter when a family is focused on healing their child - not where they can afford to stay, where they will get their next meal or where they will lay their head at night to rest. Supporters like you, allow us to continue helping families like the Sweeny family. Thank you for helping us help kids.
