06 Nov All the little things… keeping families close

When preparing for the birth of their first-born baby, Zac and Nicole Hughes never imagined that it would be one of the scariest things they would ever experience. After a difficult birth, their baby boy, Wyn was whisked to the NICU, and at the time, Zac and Nicole had no idea how long he would be there.
Nicole was going to be released from the hospital in a couple days and the thought of going home while Wyn was still in the NICU was unbearable. At that crucial point in their lives, they felt like a door opened for them. They had heard about Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas but didn’t really know how they supported families with critically ill or injured children. After finding out about the new Ronald McDonald Family Room at Seton Medical Center, Zac and Nicole were able to stay for three nights – and those three nights made a meaningful difference.
The Family Room had just opened and it was a welcoming space that kept them close to Wyn. Because they were right there, they didn’t have to commute back and forth from home to the hospital. And having the ability to have a snack, shower or simply rest was huge – especially as they coped with having a baby in the NICU. But most importantly, the Family Room allowed them to be near their baby where they could simply walk to the NICU.
“It was all the tiny things that added up,” Zac said. “You don’t realize how these little things make a difference until you need them. And not a day goes by where we don’t think about how RMHC CTX supported our family. We knew Ronald McDonald House Charities was always there, and when we needed it most, they were ready to help.”