The families who have stayed at Ronald McDonald House of Reno are our best ambassadors. If you’ve stayed with us, we’d like you to share your experience because your story is important to us. After all, you’re family! If you’d like to read about other families’ experiences at the Ronald McDonald House of Reno, visit our message board.
Not a Trial to Face Alone
A huge, January snowstorm forced Matt and Jillian Bates to stay in Reno, unable to return to their home in Susanville. At twenty-five weeks into her pregnancy, Jillian was extra cautious—she’d already lost a son to premature labor. Thankfully they were in Reno when Matt rushed Jillian to the hospital; the baby was on its way. Jillian explained, “In Susanville, they wouldn’t have been able to save her. They wouldn’t have been able to life flight her, or drive her in the ambulance, and they didn’t have the equipment. We were very fortunate to be in Reno.” Raquel Evian Bates was born weighing one pound, six ounces.
The Bates first heard of the Ronald McDonald House through a cousin and Jillian quickly came to her own conclusions, “It’s been such a wonderful thing to have a place that’s kind of like home, where you feel safe, a place where you feel comfortable, where you can be yourself and have your own space, and still not feel like you’re alone.” While Matt drives down on weekends and some evenings during the week to be with his family, Jillian has been able to stay in Reno with Raquel for the last two months.
“The hardest part is wanting to take care of her and not being able to, to have to get a report from someone else on how our daughter is doing every day. We’re looking forward to having a healthy baby, to being providers for her, and being together every day.”
During the month of February, Jillian volunteered during the RMHC Radio-thon. “I wanted to help because I don’t think that ten dollars a night is anything to pay to stay here. People need to know and be more aware about what this place offers.” While raising donations at the Meadowood Mall Bully’s, she was able to share Raquel’s story and how the Ronald McDonald House of Reno is helping her family be together.
“I hope Raquel’s story helped someone realize that this place isn’t just a house. It’s not about hamburgers or making money. I hope our story makes someone realize what a great service this is.”
Raquel is not only off the ventilator, she is over four pounds! Although Raquel was only given a 65% chance of survival at birth, the Bates are now confident that their daughter will make a full recovery.
“We’re very excited. Her progress was slow at first, but the last few weeks have been amazing. It’s been so wonderful to be here. If we were staying in Susanville, I don’t think Raquel would be progressing as much because we hold her and she’s very alert. She knows us.” The Bates took Raquel home in early April.
Although ready to return home, the Bates, like many other families before them, miss the Ronald McDonald House. Tearing up, Jillian professed, “We met so many wonderful people. It’s hard because you see people come and go with all these problems that seem more difficult than what we’re facing. It’s a great place because you see it’s not just a trial that your family is facing alone; you’re not the only one who was chosen for this. We miss being able to talk to other people who know what we’re dealing with, who know what’s it’s like not to be able to fix anything. We miss the people who understand."
