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.

During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Ronald McDonald House New York highlights the story of Dimitris, a 10-year-old boy diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), and his amazing mother, Melissa. The family's journey from Trinidad and Tobago to New York City began with a leap of faith and continued forward with support from places the family never knew possible including Ronald McDonald House New York. This is their story.

Yet, Abdiel is not your typical two-year-old. The boy’s life has been a constant barrage of doctors, diagnoses and NICU nurses.  Any person who was in a constant cycle of those types of interruptions would not necessarily think of that time as anything other than hard work.

However, Abdiel just calls it playtime.