Family grateful for Atlanta Ronald McDonald House during COVID-19

By writer to www.11alive.com

Molly Johnson’s son 12-year-old son Billy has had a coronary heart transplant, battled lung circumstances, and is now recovering in Atlanta from his second kidney transplant.

ATLANTA — Any day collectively is a superb day, regardless of the place they’re.

Troublesome occasions in life have taught the Johnson household that perspective.

“He’s such a candy boy,” Molly Johnson says as she provides Billy a kiss on the top. “He beat every kind of odds to be the place he’s at now.”

She is grateful to be at Atlanta’s Ronald McDonald House in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. At such an unsure and scary time for essentially the most medically fragile, Johnson is grateful to really feel protected.

“I can’t even categorical what it means to know we’re within the most secure place we might probably be,” she stated. “Individuals would suppose I’d be most afraid as a result of he’s the very best threat there may be, however we all know we’re protected right here.”

In his 12 years, Billy has had a coronary heart transplant, battled lung circumstances, and is now recovering from his second kidney transplant.

He had the surgical procedure simply earlier than hospitals quickly stopped doing many surgical procedures. Billy received a donated kidney from is dad, Mark, shortly earlier than the shelter in place began. His dad and mom and his older sister traveled from North Carolina to Atlanta simply in time.

The Ronald McDonald Home is sort of a second residence to them. Docs discovered his coronary heart situation whereas his mother was pregnant. Over time, they’ve spent a whole bunch of nights collectively on the Ronald McDonald Home.

“We’ve been coming right here since earlier than Billy was born,” Molly stated. “That is our third transplant; and if you happen to add up all of the nights we’ve stayed right here over the course of his life, it’s nearly at 500.”

However they’ve by no means stayed there underneath the extra stress and uncertainty that comes with a pandemic. Molly stated they’re extra grateful than ever for the sense of safety the Ronald McDonald Home provides them.

“Now much more so; I can’t think about how scary it might be to have to go away right here and journey backwards and forwards and the chance that it might pose to him,” she stated.

The shelter in place for folks with medical circumstances, like Billy, and for seniors who’re additionally extra susceptible to the novel coronavirus continues by Could 13.

Through the shelter in place there have been 35 households on the Atlanta RMHC Homes. Many, like Billy, are immunocompromised.

To guard the households and stop the unfold of COVID-19, Atlanta RMHC needed to make the tough determination to restrict the households at their homes to those that had been already of their care.

The charity discovered new methods to fulfill the vital wants of households presently of their care, and people who will quickly want their companies.

Their COVID-19 Response Fund has raised greater than $50,000 and helped 27 households who’ve wanted lodging in April with resort lodging and different assist.

They persevering with to supply meals, assist and housing to these presently staying at their homes on Gatewood Highway and Peachtree Dunwoody Highway.

The Johnson household is in no rush to get out and about. They’re content material and grateful to remain put.

“They’ve been fantastic to us and all of the households, completely fantastic,” Molly stated.

Billy is getting stronger. His household is grateful to be collectively – to be protected – regardless of the place they’re and the way lengthy it takes.

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