SUMMER 2012 A Communicative Publication of Ronald … Fall Newsletter Final.pdf · SUMMER 2012 A...
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The Back Page For More Information: 615-343-4000 or rmhcnashville.com Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Nashville, TN Permit No. 763 Ronald McDonald House Charities ® of Nashville is one of 318 Houses worldwide. The House provides shelter, emotional support, understanding and a home-like environment to families during their time of need. Please help continue the caring! HouseNotes A Communicative Publication of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville, Tennessee, Inc. 2144 Fairfax Avenue Nashville, Tennessee 37212 House Notes SUMMER 2012 A Communicative Publication of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville, Tennessee, Inc. The Ronald McDonald Family Room, located within the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, continues to provide a warm and comfortable place where families who have a child being treated at the Children’s Hospital can come if they need to take a break from the bedside, get something to eat or drink, or maybe just to talk with someone who cares about them. The Family Room serves an average of 3,500 visitors each month and those numbers continue to rise. As more families come to the Children’s Hospital for medical treat- ment for their children, the needs of the Family Room such as food supplies, S.O.S. sponsorships, and added maintenance continue to rise. One of our urgent needs is a new refrigerator. We wish appliances could last forever, but the malfunctioning refrigerator located in the Family Room needs to be replaced soon. Repairs on the refrigerator are temporary, and the cost to replace it will be at least $1,500. In addition to this urgent need, we always need support through S.O.S. Sponsorships, which underwrite the cost to provide refreshments in the Family Room and donations of Wish List items. If you are interested in making a donation to help underwrite the cost of a new refrigerator, becoming an S.O.S. Sponsor, or donating items from our Family Room Wish List, please contact us. Family Room Continues to Serve Patients & Families There are many forms of planned gifts that can help you make a more significant gift than you ever imagined, without sacrificing income or security for your own family. By remembering us in your will or estate plans, you help make sure that we can provide a “home away from home” for future generations of guest families. • A bequest in your will or living trust lets you take care of loved ones first and then make a remarkable difference in the lives of others. • Naming us as a beneficiary of your retirement plan can help your heirs avoid double taxation while sharing your generosity with our families as well. • The gift of life insurance transforms a modest investment into a much larger benefit both for you and for the families we serve. Your planned gift can support a particular program or service the House provides, honor a loved one, or be designated for our endowment fund. Individuals who have made a bequest or estate gift to the House are welcomed as lifetime members of our Children’s Legacy Society. Members will be regularly recognized and thanked for their enduring generosity. If you have already made or plan to make a planned gift to RMHC of Nashville, please contact us so we can include you in the Children’s Legacy Society. We respect that some donors prefer anonymity and invite you to let us know about your plans on a confidential basis. Knowing your plans to help families of critically ill children helps us plan wisely for the future. Children’s Legacy Society Parents Meg and Justin Wohlford named their baby Tyson before he was born because they saw it as a good name for an athlete, and that’s how they saw their son. He turned out to be a fighter. Born a supposedly healthy baby on August 17, 2011 weighing in at 6 pounds 13 ounces, they were excited to be parents. During Tyson’s circumcision the next morning, he turned blue and was immediately sent to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt where he was diagnosed with Shone’s Complex, a serious type of congenital heart disease. This type of heart disease requires three procedures: the first was done immediately, the next was in January 2012, and the last will take place in the fall of 2013. Ronald McDonald House became “home” for Meg and Justin for 84 nights while Tyson stayed at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. Meg remembers taking comfort in knowing Tyson was being cared for by a great medical team. Both she and Justin were grateful for the peace they found here – a place to grab a bite to eat and unwind from the harried pace of the hospital. After four months of medical procedures and Tyson’s ups and downs, they received the perfect Christmas gift. They were able to take their baby home for the first time. Their happiness at being home was tempered by fear. Fear of being away from the hospital and the care he received there, fear of taking him out for something simple like shopping, and just allowing him to be around other people concerned them. Learning to feed him through his feeding tube was just one challenge. As the months went by, they adjusted their lives around his needs. Needing to catch up from the developmental delays his illness caused, he has to go to occupational therapy, speech/feeding therapy, and physical therapy four times a week. Their hard work has paid off because Tyson’s feeding tube was recently removed, and he’s slowly eating food. Everything he does is a joy to them. Anything he experiences, whether it’s touching something new or eating a new food, is a joy to them. They rejoice that he’s getting better with every obstacle he overcomes. The Wohlford’s have a joyfulness about their son. At one, he laughs and plays, and loves to eat his toes. They try to make his life as normal as possible. Challenging times may pull apart some families, but with this family, these times have brought them closer together. Neither Meg nor Justin ever imagined their life’s journey would take them in this direction, but with the love and support of so many people and their positive outlook on life, they have turned this journey into an adventure that shows growth in their family unit. As a result of their experience, the Wohlfords initiated a Facebook campaign to raise awareness of the Nashville Ronald McDonald House in honor of Tyson’s 1st birthday. The family had a goal to recognize Tyson’s fight by raising enough money to purchase a Giving Tree Leaf to hang in the dining room. That goal was exceeded, and on his birthday the family drove from Clarksville to hang his leaf on the tree. His first birthday party took place across the street at Dragon Park. Family and friends wrote messages on balloons then sent them skyward. Help Tyson Fight! If you want to read more about Tyson’s journey go to www.helptysonfight.com or look him up on Facebook. Courtsey of Tara Kneiser of Dixie Pixel Photography
Transcript of SUMMER 2012 A Communicative Publication of Ronald … Fall Newsletter Final.pdf · SUMMER 2012 A...
The Back Page
For More Information: 615-343-4000 or rmhcnashville.com
Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage
PAIDNashville, TN
Permit No. 763
Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Nashville is one of 318 Houses worldwide. The House provides shelter, emotional support, understanding and a home-like
environment to families during their time of need. Please help continue the caring!
HouseNotesA Communicative Publication of Ronald McDonald
House Charities of Nashville, Tennessee, Inc.
2144 Fairfax AvenueNashville, Tennessee 37212
House Notes
S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 A Communicative Publication of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville, Tennessee, Inc.
The Ronald McDonald Family Room, located within the MonroeCarell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, continues to provide awarm and comfortable place where families who have a child beingtreated at the Children’s Hospital can come if they need to take a breakfrom the bedside, get something to eat or drink, or maybe just to talkwith someone who cares about them. The Family Room serves an average of 3,500 visitors each month and those numbers continue to rise.
As more families come to the Children’s Hospital for medical treat-ment for their children, the needs of the Family Room such as foodsupplies, S.O.S. sponsorships, and added maintenance continue to rise. One of our urgent needs is a new refrigerator. We wish appliancescould last forever, but the malfunctioning refrigerator located in the Family Room needs to be replaced soon. Repairs on the refrigerator are temporary, and the cost to replace it will be at least $1,500.
In addition to this urgent need, we always need support through S.O.S.Sponsorships, which underwrite the cost to provide refreshments in theFamily Room and donations of Wish List items. If you are interestedin making a donation to help underwrite the cost of a new refrigerator,becoming an S.O.S. Sponsor, or donating items from our Family RoomWish List, please contact us.
Family Room Continues toServe Patients & FamiliesThere are many forms of planned gifts that can help you make a more
significant gift than you ever imagined, without sacrificing income or security for your own family. By remembering us in your will or estateplans, you help make sure that we can provide a “home away fromhome” for future generations of guest families.
• A bequest in your will or living trust lets you take care of loved ones first and then make a remarkable difference in the lives of others.
• Naming us as a beneficiary of your retirement plan can help your heirs avoid double taxation while sharing your generosity with our families as well.
• The gift of life insurance transforms a modest investment into a much larger benefit both for you and for the families we serve.
Your planned gift can support a particular program or service the Houseprovides, honor a loved one, or be designated for our endowment fund. Individuals who have made a bequest or estate gift to the House are welcomed as lifetime members of our Children’s Legacy Society. Memberswill be regularly recognized and thanked for their enduring generosity. If you have already made or plan to make a planned gift to RMHC ofNashville, please contact us so we can include you in the Children’s LegacySociety. We respect that some donors prefer anonymity and invite you to letus know about your plans on a confidential basis. Knowing your plans tohelp families of critically ill children helps us plan wisely for the future.
Children’s Legacy Society
Parents Meg andJustin Wohlfordnamed their babyTyson before he wasborn because they sawit as a good name foran athlete, and that’show they saw theirson. He turned out to be a fighter. Born a supposedly healthybaby on August 17,2011 weighing in at6 pounds 13 ounces,they were excited tobe parents.
During Tyson’s circumcision the next
morning, he turned blue and was immediately sent to MonroeCarell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt where he was diagnosedwith Shone’s Complex, a serious type of congenital heart disease.This type of heart disease requires three procedures: the first wasdone immediately, the next was in January 2012, and the last willtake place in the fall of 2013.
Ronald McDonald House became “home” for Meg and Justin for84 nights while Tyson stayed at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.Meg remembers taking comfort in knowing Tyson was being caredfor by a great medical team. Both she and Justin were grateful forthe peace they found here – a place to grab a bite to eat and unwindfrom the harried pace of the hospital.
After four months of medical procedures and Tyson’s ups and downs,they received the perfect Christmas gift. They were able to take theirbaby home for the first time.
Their happiness at being home was tempered by fear. Fear of beingaway from the hospital and the care he received there, fear of takinghim out for something simple like shopping, and just allowing him
to be around other people concerned them. Learning to feed himthrough his feeding tube was just one challenge.
As the months went by, they adjusted their lives around his needs.Needing to catch up from the developmental delays his illnesscaused, he has to go to occupational therapy, speech/feeding therapy,and physical therapy four times a week. Their hard work has paidoff because Tyson’s feeding tube was recently removed, and he’sslowly eating food.
Everything he does is a joy to them. Anything he experiences,whether it’s touching something new or eating a new food, is a joy to them. They rejoice that he’s getting better with every
obstacle he overcomes.The Wohlford’s have ajoyfulness about theirson. At one, he laughsand plays, and loves toeat his toes.
They try to make his lifeas normal as possible.Challenging times maypull apart some families,but with this family,
these times have brought them closer together. Neither Meg norJustin ever imagined their life’s journey would take them in thisdirection, but with the love and support of so many people andtheir positive outlook on life, they have turned this journey into an adventure that shows growth in their family unit.
As a result of their experience, the Wohlfords initiated a Facebookcampaign to raise awareness of the Nashville Ronald McDonaldHouse in honor of Tyson’s 1st birthday. The family had a goal torecognize Tyson’s fight by raising enough money to purchase aGiving Tree Leaf to hang in the dining room. That goal was exceeded, and on his birthday the family drove from Clarksville tohang his leaf on the tree. His first birthday party took place acrossthe street at Dragon Park. Family and friends wrote messages onballoons then sent them skyward.
Help Tyson Fight!
If you want to read more about Tyson’s journey go to www.helptysonfight.com or look him up on Facebook.
Courtsey of Tara Kneiser of Dixie Pixel Photography
RONALD McDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF NASHVILLE House Notes
IN MEMORIAMAPRIL 2012 – SEPTEMBER 2012
RMHC of Nashville welcomes Sarah Kimball to the staff as our
new House Operations Coordinator.
We had a wonderful visit from snow leopards – such a treat for
our families and staff!
Thank you for your participation in Hustle for the House5K and 1 Mile Fun Run sponsored by McDonald's of Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky.
Thanks to your support, we raised almost $40,000 and
had more than 600 participants. Save the date for the 3rd Annual Hustle for the House on September 21, 2013!
Thank you to Betty Hutcheson and friendswith the Dorcas Ministry from the Church of Christ at Cedar Lane in Tullahoma present
us with a donation of pillows. for the families at our House!
The Wohlford Family had a fundraiser inhonor of Tyson’s first birthday, collectingmore than $1,800 for a Giving Tree Leaf.
Thank you to Troy Dickens and all the generous people who participated
in the 2012 Big Rigs for Little Kids Golf Tournament.
We received a donation of $9,138!
If you are interested in making a donation In Honor or In Memory of someone special, please visit our website:rmhcnashville.com and click the donate button near the top of the web page.
We would like to thank these generous sponsors and donors of RMHC of Nashville...
Around Our House
Karen and Stephen Hackett presented acheck for $15,000 as a result of the JordanHackett Foundation’s fundraising events.
Representatives from the CIC Foundationpresent a donation of $200,000
to RMHC of Nashville.
For More Information: 615-343-4000 or rmhcnashville.comFollow us on:
Anastasia Andrews
Sa’Nyiah Bailey
Soren Carothers
Pyo Maung
Blake McLearran
Chasia Morgan
Avery Notgrass
Izaiah Perkins
Matthew Rutherford
2012 Board of DirectorsPresident
MIKE RALSTONPresident-Elect
JIM DANIELSecretary
MICAH LACHERTreasurer
STAN YORK
ADVISORY BOARD
STAFF
Executive Director Elizabeth Miller Piercy
House Manager Kaye Slater
Development Director Heather Corum Powell
Volunteer Coordinator Kirra Menees
House Operations CoordinatorSarah Kimball
Administrative Manager Cheryl Henderson
Maintenance Chris Curtis
Housekeeping Paula Markham
Resident ManagerYuliya Hassan
2144 Fairfax Avenue • Nashville, Tennessee 37212615-343-4000 • Fax: 615-343-4004
rmhcnashville.com
Jacky Akbari
Ted Bertuca, Jr.
Doug Brandon
Barbara Cannon
Frank Chalfont
Janet Cross
Tom Dodge
Michelle Dube
Michael Giles
Dennis Green
Diane Hargrove
Kristen Heggie
Dan Kuninsky
Helen Lane
Lee Maness
Blake Mayes
Mendy Mazzo
Dave McGahren
Don Miller
DomingoMohedano
James Pelletier
Mark Pierce
Lori Reid
Bill Rochford
Tim Ryan
Marsi Shelton
Chris Talbott
Tim Templeton
Anna Verner
Alex Waddey
Kelley Weninger
Carol Ann Wilson
Judy Wolfsberger
Alice Yopp
Susan Andrews-ThompsonYvette BoydIan Burr, M.D.
Newtonia ColemanNicki J. CookJulian CornettTom Doyle, M.D.Tim FarleyWilliam FarrisMary Fox
Jerry Garrett
Don HancockLeslie HoughBill HudsonSteve Lane
Lawrence M. LipmanLarry OdomEddie Phillips
Wright Pinson, M.D.Barbara SpellerFred Turner
Lucy Marshall WhiteTommy Wilson
Share-a-NightEvery night, 32 families stay at the Nashville Ronald McDonaldHouse and many more are on our waiting list. Each family is farfrom home and facing a child’s critical illness. Although the costper night, per room is more than $83, we only ask families to pay$15 per night to stay with us, and we have never turned a familyaway if they are unable to pay. Many of our costs are similar tothose of running any household, but on a much larger scale for our32,000-square-foot, 32-bedroom House.
Currently, 100% of families cannot afford to pay even a portion ofthe $15 per night fee, so we ask you to help us “Share a Night”with families by making donations of $15 or more to underwritethe cost. Just $15 underwrites one night, $105 underwrites oneweek and $420 underwrites one month’s stay.
To make a donation or for more information about how you canShare-a-Night and help families of critically ill children, pleasecall (615) 343-4000 or visit rmhcnashville.com/donate.
The 18th Annual InspirationalCountry Music Faith, Family & Country™ Awards AnnouncePartnership with RMHCN.The 18th Annual ICM Faith, Family & Country™ Awards, to beheld Oct. 18, 2012, at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, has partnered with RMHC of Nashville as its charity of choice for thisyear’s week-long celebration. The ICM Faith, Family and Country™ 20 Year Homecoming Concert Celebration - scheduledfor Oct., 14 – 18 at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel,Nashville, TN - is open to the public and includes various showcases and seminars, a songwriting contest, a talent competitionand much more. There is a small nightly donation required, andpart of the proceeds will benefit RMHC of Nashville.
For more information on the 18th Annual ICM Faith, Family & Country™ Awards, please visit www.ccma.cc
You have the power to make a differencewhen you join the fun for the 8th Annual
Pull Tab Collection Challenge Contest for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville!
Last year, more than 39,800 students from 85 schools from acrossmiddle Tennessee, southern Kentucky and northern Alabamatook on the challenge of collecting the most aluminum tabs fromcans to be recycled. This contest is a fun way to involve schoolsin a philanthropy project, with no cost to parents, that collec-tively adds up to a large donation for Ronald McDonald HouseCharities of Nashville.
Highlights from last year:• 158,590 ounces or 9,912 lbs. of pull tabs were collected
• 11,894,400 pull tabs recycled at 40¢ per lb. equaled$3,965
This exciting project will help us raise funds to underwrite the programs run by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville while bringing attention to our mission to “keep families close” during the critical illness of a child. Pleasevisit our website at www.rmhcnashville.com to download a schoolregistration form; fax it in to the House as soon as possible to register your school’s participation.
We hope you’ll join us for our upcoming fall special events. For more information about our events or to register, please call 615-343-4000, email [email protected] or visit www.rmhcnashville.com/events
The Golf Ball
Our 18th Annual Golf Ball will be held on Monday, October 8, 2012, at Hillwood Country
Club. More than 200 golfers will enjoy morning and afternoon shotgun starts with on-course re-
freshments as well as breakfast, lunch, and the “19th Hole” cocktail reception and silent auction.
We are seeking sponsors, golfers, silent auction items and committee volunteers for this event.
d’Vine Selections Wine Tasting
Our 15th Annual d’Vine Selections Wine Tasting and Silent Auction will be held on Friday,
November 9, 2012, at Jaguar Porsche Audi Nashville. More than 100 wines provided
by wine expert Ed Fryer of RED Spirits and Wine and a delicious selection of heavy hors
d’oeuvres graciously donated by area restaurants will be featured. Guests will also have the opportunity to bid
on an array of unique silent auction items, including artwork, jewelry, trips and dinners. We are seeking
sponsors, silent auction items, and committee volunteers for this event. Individual tickets are $60 in advance
or $70 at the door.
Mark Your Calendars!
Pull Tab Power!
