First time parents, Monica and Erick, faced an unexpected and challenging journey when their son, Noah, was born on November 15, 2020. Diagnosed with hypoplastic right heart syndrome and other fetal anomalies, Noah was immediately admitted for a series of medical treatments and surgeries at Texas Children’s Hospital.
As Noah began his medical journey, his parents found themselves balancing hospital visits with their stay at Ronald McDonald House on Holcombe Blvd. Monica would be at Noah’s bedside during the day, while Erick worked remotely from Holcombe House. In the evenings, their roles would switch, with Erick staying at the hospital next to Noah while Monica took the opportunity to rest and recharge.
“After being at the hospital all day or all night, it felt like we were coming home when we walked into Holcombe House each day. The beds were comfortable, you could take a hot shower, there was always a meal or a snack available. Staying at Ronald McDonald House gave us the strength to be there for Noah,” says Erick.
As brand-new parents, and far away from their own home, family and support network, the sense of community was therapeutic.
“I got to bond with other dads,” says Erick. “There were other families we met who had been there for a couple of years. We all tried to be positive for each other.”
Monica had to reconcile her expectations of being a new mother with her reality and having the support of RMHC staff helped. “The staff was so understanding and always went above and beyond. They provided words of encouragement, someone to talk to, and they would ask us what we needed.”
Noah’s First Christmas
The holiday season was an emotional time for Monica and Erick. Noah was still in the hospital, and they were hundreds of miles from their close-knit family.
“I somehow held on to the hope that Erick and I could still have a “first Christmas with baby,” even in the hospital,” Monica recalls. “But with all of the hospital regulations, it just wasn’t possible. I think that was a low point for me. I had a very hard time emotionally around Christmas,” Monica says. “But then, we returned to our room at Holcombe House and there was this HUGE bag of gifts for Noah. It felt like everyone at RMHC was telling us that Noah mattered – his first Christmas mattered, and so many people cared. It was obvious that a lot of thought went into each gift in the bag. Even if he was just a tiny baby in the hospital, he deserved to be treated like part of the family.”
“It was also so much fun seeing all the other kids in Ronald McDonald House receiving gifts,” says Erick. “Not just any random toys, but the specific things they had asked for. That made it truly special.”
After six challenging months, Noah was finally cleared to go home, and they returned to El Paso as a family. Today, Noah is a vibrant 4-year-old who enjoys learning, playing, and exploring.
The winter holidays are a very special time at Ronald McDonald House. RMHC staff and volunteers work hard to create the joy and magic of the season for families going through a difficult time. Our Santa Shop is a free shopping experience that opens in early December at Holcombe House and at pop-up shops inside our partner hospitals. The Santa Shop is stocked with donated gifts for newborns to teens and serves hundreds of families each year.