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Our Stories

Behind every door at Ronald McDonald House Ozarks is a family with a story worth telling. Stories of fear and courage, of long hospital days and small moments of grace, of strangers who became a second family. These are the families whose lives were changed because of supporters like you, and their stories are proof of what your kindness makes possible.

A couple smiles with their child

The Deckard Family

A Saving Grace - Niangua, MO

When six-year-old Ava was diagnosed with leukemia, the Deckards faced years of treatment and unpredictable hospital stays. Ronald McDonald House helped them stay together through it all, with a place to rest, share meals, and catch their breath.

In October 2022, six-year-old Ava Deckard was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. For her family in Niangua, the news was shattering—the kind of moment that splits life into before and after. Ava’s journey began at Mercy in Springfield, which opened the door to specialized care at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Suddenly, the Deckards were hundreds of miles from home, frightened and far from everything familiar. The Ronald McDonald House in Memphis became their saving grace, a soft place to land when the world had fallen out from under them.

When Ava’s condition improved, the family returned home to continue two and a half years of treatment at the St. Jude Affiliate Clinic in Springfield—but the hardest part wasn’t over. Some weeks, Ava needed to be in the hospital four to five days at a time. Other weeks, sudden illness meant an admission with no warning. Through every stay, the Ronald McDonald House at Mercy was there. With a young son at home, the Deckards refused to be split apart—one parent at the hospital, one at home. Instead, they stayed together in their room at the House, close enough to shower, share a meal, and simply catch their breath.

Never having to worry about a hotel bill or another restaurant meal was an enormous relief—one made possible by supporters who believe families belong together. Inside those walls, they also found something they never expected: other parents walking the same frightening road, who understood without a word. Today, Ava is thriving, having finished her treatment in May 2025—proof of what love, community, and generosity can carry a family through.

Our mission continues

The Berg Family

All Our Fears Put to Rest - Wasola, MO

While grieving the loss of their son Elijah, the Bergs faced a long NICU journey with his twin brother, Weston. A room at Ronald McDonald House kept their family close through days filled with both heartbreak and hope.

In late July of 2024, Sharon Berg and her husband went in for what they believed was a routine ultrasound for their twin boys. Instead, they learned Sharon was already dilated at just 21 weeks, and both babies were at risk. After six days of bed rest at Mercy in Springfield, Sharon gave birth. Weston and Elijah were born on August 4 at only 21 weeks and 6 days. Sweet Elijah remained only for a handful of hours. In the same breath as unimaginable grief, the Bergs now faced a long NICU fight for Weston—more than an hour and a half from home, with a two-and-a-half-year-old son they ached to hold.

That was when they learned about the Ronald McDonald House located right inside the hospital. As soon as Sharon was discharged, a room was ready and waiting—and when the family needed more space for their little one, the House provided a larger room without hesitation. They welcomed visiting family, eased the daily weight of meals and lodging, and surrounded the Bergs with love through some of the darkest days a parent can know. The burden of where to sleep and how to cope was lifted, so they could pour everything into the son fighting to survive just steps away.

When Weston was later transferred to St. Louis Children’s Hospital, the Ronald McDonald House was there once again to care for them. Today, Weston is home, thriving, and meeting all of his milestones.

“We are forever grateful for this wonderful organization that truly brought our family together,” the Bergs shared—a togetherness made possible by supporters who keep families close when it matters most.

mother holding her son tightly playing outside

The Roy Family

A Sanctuary of Strength, Hope & Healing - Fair Grove, MO

After a serious car crash left Cooper fighting for his life, the Roy family refused to leave his side. For more than 11 weeks, Ronald McDonald House gave them a place to rest and gather strength for the days ahead.

For the Roy family of Fair Grove, life turned upside down in an instant when 20-year-old Cooper was struck head-on by a wrong-way driver. In a matter of minutes, an ordinary day became a fight for his life—more than 40 procedures ahead of him, and more still to follow. His parents, brothers, and extended family rushed to his side, refusing to let him face the journey alone. But long days in the ICU quickly made one thing clear: sleeping in waiting-room chairs and showering in hospital bathrooms could not sustain them through weeks—then months—of uncertainty. That’s when Ronald McDonald House Charities stepped in.

For more than 11 weeks, the Roys found refuge at the Ronald McDonald House. They were able to sleep in a real bed, eat a hot meal, and gather strength for the next round of hard decisions. “The way [the Ronald McDonald House] was there to anticipate and take care of our needs, it is such a relief to know that you have a ‘home-away-from-home,'” said Cooper’s mom, Mickie Roy. “You just can’t ask for more, especially when you’re going through something that you don’t want to go through.”

The House gave them the gift of togetherness during the most fragile chapter of their lives—a place to celebrate small victories, share ordinary dinners, and remember that love and laughter can live alongside fear.

Through every surgery and sleepless night, the Roys leaned on their faith and one another. Families like theirs never expect to need the Ronald McDonald House, but when tragedy strikes, it is the generosity of supporters that keeps the doors open. Every night underwritten and every warm meal served is possible because of donors who help turn a shelter into a true sanctuary of strength, hope, and healing.

Kitchen helpers

The Kederly Family

When It's Needed Most - Marshfield, MO

A planned heart procedure became an unexpected medical crisis for Reiss Kaderly. As her family faced an uncertain road, Ronald McDonald House helped them stay nearby and find comfort in familiar meals, family celebrations, and time together.

Reiss Kaderly, a lively and determined sixth-grader from a Marshfield farm, has faced heart issues since birth—but she’s never let her condition define her. Whether caring for her beloved cow, Raymona, or helping run concessions at school sporting events, she is determined to live fully and without restraint. So when her family traveled for what was meant to be a straightforward procedure to strengthen her heart, they expected another routine step in her care. Instead, their world was upended. Reiss went into cardiac arrest for 32 minutes, endured multiple strokes, and her family suddenly found themselves facing the possibility of a transplant.

Far from the simple plan they’d made, and facing a long and unpredictable road, Roy and Sara turned to Ronald McDonald House —an organization they already knew and trusted from previous hospital stays. For the Kaderlys and Reiss’s younger siblings, Bowen and McCoy, the House wasn’t just a place to lay their heads. It was a place to regain strength, find peace, and stay together as a family when everything felt fractured. Within walking distance of the hospital, they could be at Reiss’s side in a moment’s notice, unburdened by the crushing cost of an extended stay.

The House gave them room to breathe and reasons to smile—family birthdays, an Easter celebration, even a memorable Super Bowl party. Reiss’s grandmothers used the House kitchen to cook her favorite meals, offering a taste of normalcy in the middle of crisis. With the House holding their family close and loved ones back home running the farm, Roy and Sara could keep their eyes fixed on the only thing that mattered: the day they’d bring their daughter home. That kind of comfort is only possible because of supporters who choose to Heart the Houses.

A family of four hikes a trail in a green landscape.

The Wilson Family

A Journey of Hope - West Plains, MO

Born at just 24 weeks, Avaleigh needed months of specialized care. For her parents, Aundrea and Josh, Ronald McDonald House offered a place to rest, find community, and focus on their daughter through nearly four months away from home.

Avaleigh Wilson wasn’t yet a year old, but she had already defied more odds than most people face in a lifetime. Her story begins in heartbreak: in 2020, her parents, Aundrea and Josh of West Plains, lost their son Silas, born far too soon and passing in his mother’s arms. So when Aundrea became pregnant again, every day was carried on hope and prayer. At 24 weeks, a sudden pain sent her rushing toward help—med-flighted to Cox South in Springfield, where Avaleigh entered the world weighing just 1 pound, 7 ounces. A stage 2 brain bleed, vision problems, and severe lung complications meant her fight was only beginning.

The Ronald McDonald House became the lifeline that allowed Aundrea and Josh to focus fully on their daughter, without the impossible worry of where to stay during a journey that would stretch nearly four months. Years earlier, Aundrea had volunteered at that very House through her high school, and now she was on the receiving end of the same kindness. Josh, an artist, found solace at the House dining-room table, drawing the flowers that once adorned Avaleigh’s NICU room and even offering lessons to other children staying there. Amid the chaos, the House gave them normalcy, community, and the strength of others who understood.

Avaleigh’s family wants their story to inspire others to give. “If you can touch one life, it’s worth it,” Josh shared. “And [Ronald McDonald House] touches so many lives and makes such a difference.” For the Wilsons, the House was their refuge in the storm—a place of comfort, strength, and unwavering support. It’s a refuge that exists only because of supporters who make it possible for families to find hope, and home, when they need it most.

With your generosity, we can continue to help our Chapters expand their reach and ensure even more families are supported throughout the world.

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