"When we think about the future of healthcare...we see a trend by hospitals to really focus care on community-based resources...Fundamentally, Ronald McDonald House New York is that home away from home."                      

                             -Dr. Ruth Browne, President & CEO, RMH-NY

When Grace Johnson arrived at Ronald McDonald House New York one summer evening with her baby girl, Gracie Rose, it wasn’t just a visit. It was a moment that tied together months of phone calls, late-night worries, and a growing trust between two women on very different journeys.

For Allysar, Drew, and their daughter Ayda, the reality of pediatric cancer arrived abruptly, bringing fear, exhaustion, and uncertainty into their home in Florida. As they navigated Ayda’s major surgical needs, and recovery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC, one constant provided a rare and profound comfort: Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY)

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is a time to honor the resilience of young patients and the families who navigate pediatric cancer, while also recognizing the staff, volunteers, and donors who help ease those journeys.

One family who embodies this journey is that of 28-year-old Balnur and her younger brother, 16-year-old Dimash. Originally from Almaty, Kazakhstan—a city nestled at the base of the Tien Shan mountains—the siblings have been living at the House for over a year. Their story is one of perseverance, devotion, and profound love.

During International Family Week (April 28^th- May 2^nd) and only weeks before the world will recognize the UN-supported International Day of Families on May 15th, RMH-NY celebrates the incredible bravery of families like Edgar and Sirlene’s, who left everything behind in Paraguay to save their daughter Candela’s life. Their story reminds us that hope knows no boundaries and that…at Ronald McDonald House New York, every family belongs.

 By December 2018, when they moved into Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY), the 95-room House on East 73^rd street that provides wraparound services to families with kids seeking treatment in NYC hospitals for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, Cynthia "CeCe" Abi Samra—now known by her pen name CC Grey—had already been a steadfast pillar of support for her Aunt Amal Rababy Salem and her son, and CeCe's cousin, Jad.

This isn’t just about cooking—it’s about connection. It’s about home. And thanks to Angélica, a member of the team of masterminds behind the enormous success of The Blavatnik Family Foundation Wellness Center and its community support programs, what started as a simple caregiver activity became something much more:

Emanuel and his family’s journey through pediatric cancer brought them face to face with unimaginable challenges including financial fears, family separation, and a cancer plaguing a seven-year-old boy that just seemed to keep growing. Like many other families navigating similar crises, they discovered that the support they needed extended far beyond medical care.