OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — One of the 35 families currently staying at Omaha's Ronald McDonald House is from Minot, North Dakota.
Tina Choquette's son has Hirschsprung's disease, which affects his bowels.
"He's two years old and he's spent half of his life in the hospital due to this," she shared.
The family traveled to Omaha because of the high level of care available.
"When you come to a place so many states away, you know nothing," Choquette said, describing Ronald McDonald House as a godsend.
"They help you with everything ... It's one less thing you have to worry about when you're away from home."
One program is called Meals That Heal.
"We have a lot of volunteers from all over town who come and make dinner for the families almost every night," Lindsey Rai Kortan, CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities in Omaha, explained.
"But tonight, it's the pediatric floor from (Nebraska Medicine) who is here to not just make dinner but connect with the families they see in a completely different capacity. So, it's just a little extra special," said Kortan.
The colleagues first volunteered around Christmas.
"We wanted to give back and be able to volunteer and see (our patients) outside the floor," Brittany Freeman recalled. She said they knew right away they couldn't just do it once, they wanted to make it routine.
Volunteers and families share the belief that getting to know each other on a human level outside the hospital affects what happens inside.
"It makes it easier to express the concerns I might have, worries, scares, any of that kind of stuff. It's easier to bring up to someone when (you) know them on a more personal level versus not really knowing them at all," Choquette said.
If you're inspired to serve Meals That Heal, click here.
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