When Abigail Mussi and Mary Catherine Prendergast come to the Ronald McDonald House, they know they’re going to have fun. Playing together, having dinner or picking out a reward from the toy store are top of mind for the grade schoolers.
Both girls are enrolled in the Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) program at Children’s of Alabama, which helps the brain ‘rewire’ itself after neurological injury from diagnoses like stroke or cerebral palsy.
Sean, Mary Catherine’s dad, explains that CIMT sessions can last for hours at a time. It’s a lot of hard work for a young child, so he’s thankful to have a place to stay and relax so close to the hospital.
“Having meals and meeting other families dealing with the same issues helps tremendously after long days at the hospital,” Sean says.
Patients in the CIMT program often visit Birmingham multiple times a year. With your support of the Ronald McDonald House, some of that stress is lifted.
“It is very stressful and overwhelming to travel for medical care, both emotionally and financially,” Christa, Abi’s mom, says. “Staying at the Ronald McDonald House has blessed our family immeasurably.”
Sean and Christa say both girls have benefited from their friendship and all of the play spaces at the House. That’s what we love to see: children able to be themselves, even in the midst of a medical journey.
If you’d like to help families like the Mussis and Prendergasts, visit our How Can You Help section to learn about making a donation, volunteering and more!
