When Rylie Bleyle took her two-month-old son to an Emergency Room to help with his fever and dehydration, she expected to be back home the next day. Instead, medical professionals transferred their baby to a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Salt Lake City. Rylie and her husband found themselves more than an hour from home with no place to stay while their son received emergency treatment at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital.
“The first few days were awful,” Rylie remembers, “we couldn’t sleep in our child’s room and the parent’s room had limited supplies.”
When a nurse found her husband sleeping on the floor with a few blankets, she helpfully advised they visit the Ronald McDonald Family Room — a place for families in their situation right inside the hospital.
Bleyley said that moment changed everything. The Family Room had warm meals, snacks, showers, and even overnight rooms for Bleyley and families like them with hospitalized children — all offered free of charge by Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area (RMHC).
With ongoing health concerns for their son, and another baby on the way, the Bleyles said they are thrilled to hear about RMHC’s expansion with another Family Room at the brand new Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Campus in Lehi, Utah.
Historically, RMHC has only had resources in Salt Lake City and this exciting addition opens up capabilities to provide more for Utah Valley families in need.
“Ronald McDonald House Charities is here to help parents through the unimaginable struggles they experience when their children undergo extensive medical treatment,” said RMHC CEO Carrie Romano. “This family room is opening to expand the opportunity for Utah County families who won’t have to drive as far to have a ‘home away from home’ and feel warm, safe, and peaceful during their trials.”
The Family Room at Primary Children’s Hospital Miller Campus (3rd Floor) has four overnight guest rooms, a fully-stocked kitchen and dining area, quiet meeting spaces, laundry facilities, guest computers, and more. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. the RMHC Family Room is ready with open arms for those in need of a sanctuary like Emmett’s parents.
“The family room became a sanctuary for us,” said Rylie Bleyle. “The meals, nap rooms, and ability to escape the normal environment of the hospital became a part of our daily routine and provided some normalcy during a time when nothing was truly normal. The staff at the RMHC and Family Room have truly become our family. They know us, they know our story. They’re actively involved in our lives.”
“Ronald McDonald House Charities is expanding to further our impact upon families like Emmett’s,” said RMHC Hospital Program Director Michelle Christensen. “Our Family Rooms provide spaces to relieve the financial and emotional strain on warrior families facing serious medical battles.”
The first Utah County RMHC property, Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Campus at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital in Lehi, provides services free of charge because of the generosity of community sponsors, partners, and individual donors. Donors have enabled RMHC to expand and the continuation of support in time and financial donations is always appreciated.
Click here to learn more about the Ronald McDonald House Charities Miller Campus in Lehi. Visit the website to learn how you can donate time and resources to families in need.