50 years! That’s how long the Ronald McDonald House of Philadelphia has been helping families of children who are treated at local hospitals. NBC10’s Keith Jones sat down with the family of a little girl, who’s visited six times now and just underwent her fifth surgery.
Faith, a 4-year-old girl from Florida has spent her whole life in and out of surgery.
"She's a miracle child. They kept saying I should abort and that she wasn't going to make it," Faith's Mother Jessica Buchanan said.
“Faith was born with Spina Bifida, so they were saying she wasn’t going to walk. She was also born with her bladder on the outside," Buchanan explained.
These serious medical concerns brought Faith and her family to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for specialized treatment.
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"It was scary because you’ve never been so far from home, you didn’t know her condition, you didn’t know what to expect,” Buchanan said.
The family found comfort and a roof over their heads on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia - home to the country's first Ronald McDonald House - co-founded by former Philadelphia Eagles general manager Jimmy Murray 50 years ago.
"It’s like home. You come in, you know the staff, you know what to expect, and you meet other families. Everyone is on a medical journey here," Buchanan said.
Faith's journey includes almost 150 days at the Ronald McDonald house. All of it, for free.
“I remember saying to my husband I cannot do this. I just cannot do this because it was so overwhelming. And he said, ‘Do you believe or do you not believe?'" Buchanan said.
The brave 4-year-old has made significant progress and the latest pelvic surgery was successful. Now they're looking ahead to faith entering pre-K, like every other kid her age.
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