A BRIGHT SPOTIN DARK TIMES

The upcoming expansion of the Ronald McDonald House atStanford will more than double the facility’s capacity, offering

shelter and comfort to families coping with a child’s illness.STORY BY ROBIN HINDERY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACK HUTCHESON

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Since it first opened its doors in 1979, theRonald McDonald House at Stanford hasbeen a haven for more than 350,000 fami-lies in crisis, providing a home-away-from-home as their child receives treatment fora life-threatening illness at nearby LucilePackard Children’s Hospital or anotherlocal medical facility. But for almost asmany years, the Sand Hill Road facility

has faced a demand that significantly exceeds its supply ofrooms. In a single week in 2012, for instance, the House reluc-tantly turned away 67 families.

Thankfully, that’s about to change. Last June, the Palo AltoCity Council unanimously approved the nonprofit’s expansionto an adjacent parcel of land donated by Stanford University.Thecurrent 50,000-square-foot facility houses 47 families, and theplanned 52,000-square-foot, three-story building next-door will

accommodate nearly 70 more, says CEO Annette Eros, whojoined the Palo Alto House a year and a half ago after an earlierstint as executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charitiesof San Diego. “We’re maximizing the footprint of the space wehave, and building as many additional rooms as we can,” Eros says.“When completed, we’ll be one of the largest Ronald McDonaldHouses in the world, if not the largest.”

The project—which will take an estimated 14-18 monthswith a scheduled opening in 2015—coincides with the ongoingexpansion of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital (LPCH),scheduled for completion in late 2016. “We’re associated with aworld-class hospital that’s undergoing major growth, and wehave a responsibility to serve those families,” stresses Eros.

Built with just 13 rooms, Ronald McDonald House at Stan-ford was the fifth facility to join the fledgling national network ofRonald McDonald Houses, which today can be found in 58countries and regions across the globe. The facilities operate onthe premise that keeping families together helps children copebetter and heal faster.Thanks to the generosity of volunteers anddonors, families are never asked to pay more than $25 a day (thePalo Alto House requests a fee of $10 per day), and those whocannot pay stay free of charge.

With the average length of stay at Ronald McDonald Houseat Stanford now 29 days—up from six days in 2002—the facility

aims to offer much more than a hot shower and comfortable bed.Beyond the additional guest rooms and suites, the expandedHouse will include a wide variety of inviting communal spaces,such as a large multi-purpose room; a video and game room; age-appropriate recreational spaces for teens, younger children, andtoddlers; an outdoor play area; and an exercise room. Like theexisting House, the new facility will also feature a large kitchen,dining room, and laundry rooms—amenities that most familiesuse on a daily basis.

A crucial part of the expansion is the opportunity to upgradethe current facility as well, says Eros. “We want to make sure it’sjust as modern and homey as the new space,” she says.The exist-ing building will continue to house the facility’s two isolatedImmune Wings—one for organ transplant recipients and theother for bone marrow transplant recipients—which providechildren with severely compromised immune systems a safeplace outside the hospital to recover.

Of course, the expansion itself and the resulting surge in fami-lies served will require a similarly significant increase in financialsupport of the House. And that’s where Melissa Badger comesin. Head of the boutique event design and planning firm Dreams& Details, as well as a longtime Bay Area philanthropist, Badgerhas jumped on board to chair the upcoming “House Party!”groundbreaking gala, scheduled for March 22 and expected todraw 500 guests. The event is part of a $40.5 million capitalcampaign titled “Hope is Growing” (which had raised more than$24 million as of December 31, 2013). It replaces the House’sannual Denim to Diamonds fundraiser and will be held in atented setting on the site where the new facility will eventuallytake shape.

“I’ve always been aware of the work that goes on here,”Badger said during a recent interview at the House, “and when Iwas approached about working on this year’s event, I realizedthat Annette and Jay (McCullough, the House’s chief develop-ment officer) were really ready to bring a fresh approach andsteer the ship in a new direction. We’re using the expansion andgroundbreaking as a springboard for that.”

Badger and her eight-person Steering Committee hope the“House Party!” will solidify the facility’s already strong baseof support, but also introduce new people to the importantwork that goes on there. “There are so many people out there

“We’re associated with a world-class hospital that’sundergoing major growth, and we have a responsibilityto serve those families,” stresses Eros.

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who should know more about Ronald McDonald House, butwho simply don’t really know the extent of what they do,” saysBadger. Eros adds, “We have such a solid foundation of support,so we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel; we’re trying to evolvethe event.”

The impact of Ronald McDonald House at Stanford over thepast 35 years cannot be measured. But the stories of individualfamilies go a long way toward illustrating the enormous role thisrelatively small facility has played—and will continue to play—inthe lives of so many.

Take, for example, David and Mariana of Salinas, whosetriplets—Sean, Alexander, and Brianna—were born healthy inMarch 2005. Soon after, however, doctors discovered tumors inSean’s liver and lungs. The family traveled to LPCH, where sur-geons successfully removed the tumors and replaced a portion ofSean’s liver with tissue donated by his mother. The surgery andtransplant were followed by rounds of chemotherapy and a

lengthy recovery period, during which time David stayed withSean at Ronald McDonald House while Mariana returned towork in Salinas and cared for their two other children. TheHouse’s location within minutes of LPCH proved crucial dur-ing two trips to the emergency room, and the facility’s bright,child-friendly atmosphere helped lift Sean’s spirits during thattrying time. “A smile lights up his face when he sees the fish tankor climbs the Ronald McDonald statue,” David wrote duringtheir stay. “And he loves getting to pick a new toy from theHouse’s toy basket.”

As David’s account emphasizes, it’s often the little touches—a designated kitchen cabinet to hold the ingredients of a favoritefamily recipe, a beloved book or movie available in the library—and small gestures of kindness by House staff members and vol-unteers that leave the most lasting impression on its temporaryresidents. As another family put it in a grateful note: “You aretruly a Home with a Heart.” ◆

Melissa Badger, chair of theupcoming “House Party!” ground-breaking gala, and Annette Eros,CEO of Ronald McDonald Houseat Stanford, stand outside thecurrent Sand Hill Road facility.