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Monthly Newsletter June 2025

To the Staff, Volunteers, and Supporters of Ronald McDonald House New York, On behalf of our entire family, I want to extend our deepest and most sincere thanks for the care and support you provided to us during our...

To the Staff, Volunteers, and Supporters of Ronald McDonald House New York,

On behalf of our entire family, I want to extend our deepest and most sincere thanks for the care and support you provided to us during our daughter’s recent surgeries in New York City. Being far from home while navigating a child’s serious medical needs is one of the most challenging things a parent can face — and Ronald McDonald House was a true refuge during those times.

We stayed with you during both of our daughter’s major brain surgeries for Chiari Malformation at Weill Cornell Medical Cente, and the comfort, kindness, and sense of community we experienced within your walls meant more than we can ever fully express. You made it possible for us to remain close to her during her hospital stays while easing the financial and emotional stress that comes with long-distance medical care.

As a family with three children — two of whom are now diagnosed with Chiari Malformation — our lives have been deeply impacted by this rare and complex condition. When we came to New York around Christmastime for our daughter’s first surgery, we had to make the heartbreaking decision to leave our oldest child at home. It was an incredibly emotional time, but the warmth of your staff and the comfort of your facilities helped us feel a little less alone.

During our second trip just a few weeks ago, your support again gave us strength and stability in a difficult moment. Knowing we had a safe place to return to each night — a place filled with compassion, care, and even joy — helped carry us through the exhausting days at the hospital.

Thank you for being such an essential part of our family’s journey. Your mission doesn’t just support patients — it uplifts entire families in crisis. We are endlessly grateful for the difference you made in our lives, and we will always remember the compassion we found at Ronald McDonald House New York.

In honor of National Cancer Survivors Month this June, Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY) was featured in a powerful segment on NYSE TV. The spotlight included interviews with Steve Bensinger, Board Chairman Emeritus, and Michael Brill, Chairman of the Board of Associates, both cancer survivors. Their stories emphasized the impact that survivors can have when they choose to give back, and how their leadership has helped expand RMH-NY’s reach and support for families facing pediatric cancer and other serious illnesses.

The segment also highlighted RMH-NY’s close partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, emphasizing the House’s mission to provide a safe and compassionate home for families during treatment. Located just blocks from the hospital, RMH-NY plays a critical role in easing the emotional and financial burdens families face while their children undergo complex care.

Candela’s journey at Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY) is a powerful story of resilience, community, and the global reach of compassion. When her parents, Edgar and Sirlene, learned that their unborn daughter had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome—a life-threatening condition with no treatment options in Paraguay—they launched a national fundraising campaign and eventually made their way to New York City. Thanks to NYU Langone Health and a referral from a social worker, they found a second home at RMH-NY just two weeks before Candela’s birth. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the warmth and support they received helped carry them through multiple surgeries and years of uncertainty.

RMH-NY became more than just a place to stay—it was a multicultural, emotionally supportive space that embraced families from over 40 countries, including Edgar and Sirlene’s. Candela thrived there, learning to walk, speak English, and make friends. The House provided a sense of normalcy and joy during some of the family’s darkest moments. This spring, on National Superhero Day, the House not only celebrated its international families and the strength of its children but also marked a personal triumph: Candela was given the all-clear by her medical team. The family is now back home in Paraguay, their hearts full, their journey bright, and their ties to RMH-NY everlasting.

CITY & STATE NY’S 2025 NONPROFIT TRAILBLAZERS

Congratulations to our President & CEO, Dr. Ruth C. Browne, who has been recognized in City & State NY’s 2025 Nonprofit Trailblazers as an innovative leaders serving vulnerable New Yorkers.

“Ruth C. Browne is supporting families facing pediatric illnesses, expanding Ronald McDonald House New York’s reach with family rooms at area hospitals – like the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx, which now has nap pods, a kitchenette and overnight stays. In its 45th year, the organization added family rooms at NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan in Manhattan, part of a growing network powered by thousands of volunteers and hundreds of donors and partners. On her watch, the organization’s latest gala raised more than $1 million. She was previously the founding CEO of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health.”

We are so proud to share that Jim Flanagan, Chairman of the Board at Ronald McDonald House New York, has been named to Crain’s New York Business 2025 list of Notable Leaders in Philanthropy!

This well-deserved recognition highlights Jim’s extraordinary leadership and dedication to our mission. Through his efforts to mobilize our Board and expand services, Jim has helped RMH-NY deepen its impact and advance health equity for families facing serious pediatric illness.

In addition to his work with RMH-NY, Jim is the founder of Hockey Helps, a nonprofit supporting individuals and families affected by addiction, mental health challenges, and cancer.