The staff from MUSC flew down here to accompany our little Julianna and Todd.
I will never forget the day she was born. Shortly after our devastating news, daddy went ahead with her to MUSC. We found out that our daughter, Julianna Hope, born with Down Syndrome, had more than just a hole in her tiny heart. She had a hypoplastic left arch and it needed immediate repair, along with another hole that resided alongside the other. Devastating really isn't the word to use.
In the shock of it all, my husband went ahead with her, and I had to stay behind. We talked on the phone all night long as he stayed in the waiting room. There were tears, conversation and more tears. He updated me frequently until I arrived the very next day. There was nothing that would hold me back from getting to them, not even the pain from my C-section. After staying there all night, we were informed that the local Ronald McDonald house was just around the corner from the hospital. What a blessing!
Even when they were full, they still moved heaven and earth just to find us a room. We spent our first night in that house and felt at home. We were placed in a transplant room, which was bigger than the others. We were shown love, hospitality and comfort. And as we walked on Gadsden Street every morning, even in the bitter cold and snow, we knew she was only a block away from us.
Overlooking Gadsden Street from the Ronald McDonald House. The snow storm was awful.
The Ronald McDonald House was our home for a month while we waited for the surgeons to fix our daughter's broken heart. We walked every day into a home that fed us, comforted us and provided four walls for grieving parents. Let's just say, we owe them everything. Because in that moment in our lives, we had no idea what the future held for us. We were scared, lost and needed a home and that is exactly what they gave us—nothing short of a miracle. There are so many days I often think of that building and the people in it. We will never forget.
After we finally were able to take our daughter home with us, we started to settle in. We were gone for an entire month and only saw our oldest son once during that time. It was an adjustment. Our family went through two long years of growing pains. We weren't ready for what God was about to give us—a gift in so many ways. Before our beautiful daughter—who is now thriving and healthy— turned two, we were blessed with another soul. We were going to have another baby. We spent days wondering if we would go through many of the same situations with our daughter. Your percentage for another chromosomal effected pregnancy is increased after you have previously had one. Of course, the outcome didn't matter. We just wanted a healthy, beautiful child. We don't count chromosomes here.
On Nov. 9, we welcomed a healthy, beautiful baby boy. We have never been the same. We left a part of our souls in Charleston when we came home to Anderson, South Carolina. It was no surprise that when we named him, we wanted to give him a name worth remembering. Lucas, after the Jonathan Lucas parking lot and Gadsden after the street where the Ronald McDonald House was located.
We have nothing but gratitude for the Ronald McDonald House and the beautiful people who were there at a dark time in our lives. It was because of this place and the people that our son carries a meaningful name. It is a landmark in our lives and a part of our history—a part that is carried on in our son, forever.
Your Support Matters
The Powells are thankful for everything you do to help families like theirs. Contact Alix Tew at 843-723-7957 Ext. 303 or alix@rmhcharleston.org to discover how you can extend hope and help to sick children and their families for years to come.