My name is Kjer Kizer and my family recently spent more than a month at the Ronald McDonald House in Bend.  I was dealing with a difficult pregnancy, and thankfully was just steps away from the hospital when I had to deliver our baby girl AnnMarie, five weeks prematurely.  We were also at the House after my delivery, while our precious little girl was in the hospital.

Wait, let me back up for a minute.  When I first checked into the Ronald McDonald House I was amazed at how much the staff tried to make it as much like home as possible—and my son Hollis loved the place!  He’s two and very precocious—he was in the toy room, in the movie room, in the kitchen and really had the run of the place!  Everyone knew who he was and it was such a relief to know he could be with me during my stay.  The Ronald McDonald House is an incredible place—it was a true home away from home, and if we couldn’t be at our real home in John Day, it was definitely the next best place to be.

I’ve learned since our stay that 2010 will be one of the busiest years in the Bend Ronald McDonald House’s history, and I really want to thank all of you for supporting this amazing cause in the past, and for any future support you might be able to give.  This experience allowed us to be part of a community of families, each going through their own difficult situation. Thank you for making all of that possible!

I would say that the Ronald McDonald House is one of the most worthy charities I can imagine because it gives so much, to so many.  The staff give you support from top to bottom, which was so important to me, and really contributed to the feeling of home.  Most of all, it allows you to focus on the health of your child, while all family members stay together under one roof.  One thing I really want to share is that Ronald McDonald House is a refuge for families who are struggling through something very hard, and we’re so glad it was there in our time of need. 

Thank you so much for ensuring Ronald McDonald House was there for my family, and that it continues to be a beacon of hope to all families for years to come.