Watch Marie and Ana Patricia Recount Their Miraculous Journey
If love could be measured in generations, you’d find it in abundance in one particular suite at Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY) on East 73rd street in Manhattan. Inside those four walls are three hearts tethered tightly together: Marie, her son Mateo, and her mother, Ana Patricia. Three generations—grandmother, mother, and child—sharing a room, a journey, and a devotion that defies borders.
Today, Ronald McDonald House New York supports families from all over the world, the country, and even the most vulnerable living right here in NYC who have children fighting pediatric cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. All of these families come to Ronald McDonald House New York with one goal: to find a way to heal their child. RMH-NY provides comprehensive, wraparound services for families, so they can do just that: Focus on their kid.
Marie, Mateo, and Ana Patricia’s story spans continents and crises, but it always returns to one thing: love that shows up. Consistently. Fiercely. Unconditionally.
And just in time for Mother's Day, this family reminds us that motherhood is rarely ever a straight line. Sometimes, much like Ronald McDonald House New York, it's a circle—one that wraps its arms around you to steady and support you when everything else is falling apart.
From Guatemala With Love—and a Lot of Strength
Marie and Mateo call Guatemala home. Ana Patricia, originally from El Salvador, moved back to Guatemala when she learned her daughter’s pregnancy would be difficult. From the moment Mateo arrived, Ana Patricia never left Marie’s side.
“She’s my only daughter,” Ana Patricia said. “Having my daughter’s baby was amazing. Like a gift to me.”
Mateo’s early days were joyful—but also uncertain. At three months old during a routine bath before bed, Mateo had his first seizure. At first, Marie thought he was just shivering from the cold.
“I was giving him a bath when it happened. He just shivered—and that shivering never stopped.”
That single seizure would change the course of their lives. Over time, they learned he had Dravet Syndrome, a rare and catastrophic form of epilepsy. Children with Dravet suffer frequent, prolonged seizures and often experience developmental delays. The seizures are often triggered by temperature changes, flashing lights, stress, or even excitement. Dravet’s Syndrome was formerly known as myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI). Only 1 in every 15,700 infants are born with Dravet’s Syndrome.
As the seizures became more frequent and more severe, Marie and Ana Patricia began to live in a constant state of emergency. A normal day could become life-threatening in seconds.
Miracle Moment #1: A Mother’s Voice
One of the most harrowing chapters in their story happened in El Salvador, during a Thanksgiving trip.
“He had a seizure that lasted 49 minutes,” Marie said. “We were in a hospital with no pediatric care, and in front of us, the doctor turned and said, ‘Your son is dead.’”
Marie looked to her Mother, in shock. “Mateo is dead,” she said.
“Yes, he is,” Ana Patricia whispered, “but talk to him. Call him.”
So, they did. With a quiet panic supported by a foundation of faith, Mateo’s mom and grandmother called his name, their voices steadying what little hope they had left. Then, just before the defibrillator hit his chest, Mateo’s tiny body took a deep breath and returned to life.
Against all odds, Marie’s only son was alive again.
That experience changed something in Marie—not only as a mother, but as a person.
“I knew then that I couldn’t keep relying on chance. We needed better care. We needed real answers.”
The Search for Help—and a Place to Heal
Over the next year, Marie visited nine different doctors in Guatemala and El Salvador. The appointments were inconclusive. Medications shifted constantly. No one could pinpoint exactly what was happening.
Eventually, a pediatric neurologist in El Salvador suggested they go to the United States—specifically New York City—to consult with specialists at Weill Cornell.
Ana Patricia talks about their decision to take Mateo to America for treatment:
“…because he's the only pediatrician in Guatemala, he said, ‘Look, we have nothing, nothing we can do here, because we don't know about this, this condition. So, it's better if you take him to the States, because here, the baby could die.’ He was so honest to us, and he also told us the two medications that you can find in Guatemala were not completely right for Mateo.
So, we said, ‘hey, let's take an airplane flight, and let's go to the States’. I don't know how we are going to do it, but we have faith, and now… here we are in this amazing place.”
The suggestion felt impossible. How could they afford to leave the country? But the look in the doctor’s eyes said it all. If Mateo was going to have a chance, this was the path.
They sold nearly everything they owned—furniture, clothes, even appliances. Family and friends pitched in. They arrived in New York with just enough to stay for a short while, bouncing between Airbnbs as they began the long process of getting Mateo seen and treated.
They stayed that way for nine months—unstable housing, constant medical visits, and no sense of home. And then, through a friend, they learned about Ronald McDonald House New York.
“I didn’t even know a place like this existed,” Marie said. “We applied and got accepted for a one-week stay. It was supposed to be temporary.”
Marie Tells the Story of Her First Week at RMH-NY:
“We were supposed to stay here (RMH-NY) just one week, and I remember exactly how it was Friday night. I was packing everything ready to go nowhere, because, of course, they give you a certain amount of time while the kid is in treatment. But of course, there's a certain amount of time where you have to go back, and we just requested that week. Just in the meantime, he was in the hospital, and I was packing everything when Mateo had a very, very, very severe seizure, and so I ran to the hospital.
Friday night, I talked to social workers, and they're like, don’t worry about it. I was just afraid that we were going to be without a house, and I was in the hospital by that time, my mom had to travel back home, so it was just Mateo and I, and she said, ‘Don't worry about it. We're going to take care of everything at the house. So, mind your son right now.’
When the paramedics came, they were not able to stop the seizure, so they started drilling his knee. Literally took a drill down and drilled, drilled his knee, because there's a nerve right there where they can put some medicine to stop the seizure.
I was panicking in between housing, between hospital and all that. And the Ronald McDonald House people who—you were really kind enough to be like, ‘Okay, focus on Mateo right now. Just get that fixed, and we’ll take it from there.’
And from that day it has been a year we’ve stayed here.”
Miracle Moment #2: A First Step in a Room Full of Joy
During their first week at the House, Marie witnessed something she never expected.
“There were kids playing, and Mateo just… walked. He took his first steps—no help, no hesitation.”
Marie froze. Ana Patricia cried. Mateo kept walking, determined, and delighted, like he knew this was the moment.
There, in the living room of RMH-NY, surrounded by children just like him—fighters, survivors—Mateo made his debut.
Home Is Where Your Family Grows
Marie and Ana Patricia say the House is more than shelter—it’s a sanctuary. The kitchen became a lifeline. Mateo’s ketogenic diet, crucial to helping manage his seizures, requires careful, daily preparation.
“In the House’s kitchen, I can cook what he needs. But more than that, we’re not doing it alone. There’s always someone nearby asking how he’s doing, offering help, or just making us smile.”
They laugh about the slime parties, the music, the staff who’ve become friends, and the quiet ways the House shows up.
One of the Best Christmas Present RMH-NY Could Ask For?
Marie and Her Family.
Every year, East 73rd Street lights up for Miracle on 73rd Street, the holiday spectacular made possible by the New York Fire Department’s (FDNY)’s Engine 44 and the New York Police Department’s (NYPD)’s 19th Precinct. It’s the night when Ronald McDonald House New York becomes the most magical block in the city. Santa flies in—literally—thanks to a little FDNY magic, waving to kids watching wide-eyed from their windows. Meanwhile, NYPD officers stack a towering pile of gifts collected throughout the season.
But this year, the most unforgettable gift didn’t come in wrapping paper—it arrived in the form of Marie, Ana Patricia, and young Mateo.
With no script and barely a moment’s notice, Marie stepped up in front of multiple media crews and told her family’s RMH-NY story with honesty, heart, and grace. No nerves. No notes. Just truth.
She was so natural; she and her family were quickly invited to appear on Good Day New York alongside RMH-NY President and CEO Dr. Ruth Browne the following week. Watch that segment here.
Watch Marie, Mateo and Ana Patricia on Good Day New York during the holidays.
The Quiet Heroes of RMH-NY
Speaking of showing up… One of those people who always shows up for Marie and her family is Amy, a member of the Housekeeping staff.
“She keeps the place clean where my kid eats. That matters to me,” Marie said.
Marie buys Amy a carton of orange juice every week—not because she has to, but because kindness deserves to be met with kindness.
“She told me once she liked it, so I always make sure there’s one for her.”
Ana Patricia remembers another moment—simple, but unforgettable.
“Marie was in the hospital. I was alone with Mateo. He had a seizure. I called the front desk. Two staff members came right away. They didn’t do anything special, really. They just stayed with me.”
She paused. “They didn’t let me be alone. That meant everything.”
A Mother’s Day That Means More
“My son wouldn’t be here without this place,” Marie said. “Not just alive—but walking, thriving. Laughing. We wouldn’t have a diagnosis. We wouldn’t have hope.”
Ana Patricia added, “This is home. When we leave the hospital, we say, ‘Let’s go back home.’ Not the Airbnb. Not Guatemala. Here.”
Marie smiled and said what everyone who’s stayed here has likely felt at one time or another:
“They should change the name to Ronald McDonald Home New York.”
Help Keep Families Together This Mother’s Day
Motherhood isn’t always soft-focus and lullabies. Sometimes it’s midnight seizures, emergency room prayers, and selling everything you own to fight for your child’s life. But it’s also quiet moments, community kitchens, and knowing you’re not alone.
This Mother’s Day, honor mothers like Marie and grandmothers like Anna Patricia—women whose love spans continents and crises. With your help, Ronald McDonald House New York can continue to give families not just a place to stay, but a reason to keep going.
- A gift of $108 feeds an entire family for a day.
- A donation of $400 covers a night’s stay for Mateo’s family at the House.
Give the gift of togetherness. Because families like Mateo’s don’t just need a roof over their heads—they need a place to call home.
Donate Now – and make a difference that will last far beyond Mother’s Day.
Feliz Dia de las Madres!
A Grandmother’s Prayer, A Mother’s Strength, A Child’s Fight: A Mother’s Day Journey at RMH-NY
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