Bristol’s Safe Place
For 336 days, Bristol Rhodes captured the hearts of the staff and volunteers at Ronald McDonald House of Mobile. When the precious 14 month old from Mississippi was diagnosed with leukemia, her mother, Kennedy, knew they needed to be closer to her treatments and to USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital.
“Living so far away, we knew we needed to be closer in case of emergencies,” Kennedy said. “And then we found out about Ronald McDonald House.”
“What was supposed to be a couple of months turned into 336 days,” her great grandmother, Deborah said, “and it became our home.”
Because of her compromised immune system, Bristol and her family stayed in one of the two apartments at Ronald McDonald House of Mobile. These suites are reserved for children with cancer. They have a separate door to the outside, a living room, and a kitchenette.
“The apartment was nice for her,” Kennedy said. “She could have her own little room to play in, to be a kid, because she couldn’t mix with the other children or be around a lot of other adults for fear of picking up germs. It was her safe place.”
Ronald McDonald House families come in all shapes and sizes. In Bristol’s case, she was fortunate to have not just her mother, but her grandmother, Tabitha Vice and great grandmother Deborah Rhodes with her as well. The grandparents stayed with Bristol during the week so Kennedy could keep working, and then they would swap on the weekends.
“The House felt like family, like home,” Kennedy said. “It will probably forever feel like home.”
Naturally, Bristol had some difficult days and spent time in the hospital during the worst of her treatment.
“I can only imagine how scary it was for Bristol, to be in pain, to be scared, and you can’t tell people how you feel,” her mother said. “But coming here, she knew everyone, she felt safe, and she could be her little funny red-headed self.
“The support from the staff was astronomical,” Tabitha said. “Their pure strength is what got us through. I don’t think I could have done that from my house. It was a blessing, how we ended up here, for ‘two months’, “she added with a laugh.
Kennedy said they would occasionally take Bristol home to Mississippi for a weekend or a short visit.
“Bristol would tell us she was ready to go home, which to her was Ronald McDonald House. Not our home in Mississippi. This (Ronald McDonald House) was home,” Kennedy said.
While the family praises the care they received at Ronald McDonald House, they, too, gave back in so many ways. They made Christmas wreaths for the doors and put up Christmas decorations throughout the common areas at the House. They made flower arrangements for Easter and helped decorate the House for Mardi Gras. And they occasionally prepared meals for the other families staying at the House.
“Everyone was just so nice,” Tabitha said. “We just made it home, and it truly helped us focus on Bristol getting well.”
“We are so grateful that Ronald McDonald House was here, for our family and for all of the other families we met during our stay,” Deborah said. “And the employees — I love every one of them. They were here for us, and that makes a difference, when you know someone is not just here doing a job, but they care, and it shows. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.”▪︎
