A Bridge to Mother's Day

An expectant mother has so many hopes and dreams for the future of her child.  Wendy, a guest at the Ronald McDonald House in South Dakota, is due to deliver her baby in May.  She’s hoping for a boy.  May is special to Wendy for several other reasons, not the least of which was that her mother also had a May birthday.  Unfortunately, her mother passed away, but Wendy’s fond memories of her continue to make May very special to her.

            Wendy’s impending birth brings back memories of when her older son, Brandon, (coincidently also born in May) came into this world in 2005.  Brandon is almost seven now. Wendy recalls when she made her first trip to Sioux Falls to see what the doctors would say about her son’s medical situation…the diagnosis was a midline cervical cleft, a rare congenital condition.

Now Wendy, just days away from her May delivery date, is back to take care of what began with Brandon nearly seven years ago.  As a guest at the Ronald McDonald House, Wendy recognizes how different her stay is in 2012.  Without friends or family in the area, Wendy is overwhelmed with gratitude for the kindness of the donors that make the Ronald McDonald House possible.  “It’s been such a blessing to me,” she said of her experience at the charity.

           

As a child, Wendy remembers it was always a big deal to work together with her siblings to come up with something they could do to make every Mother’s Day in May special. One year they fashioned a bridge over a creek on her mother’s property and all the children, including some cousins, came for a picnic and to go fishing.  Those memories are what inspire Wendy to give that same love and care to her children - to honor her mother and continue her mother’s legacy. 

When Wendy and her son return to her small hometown in western South Dakota, she looks forward to the ways Brandon will be able to recognize Mother’s Day with crafts and projects, himself.  In Wendy’s heart, May is obviously a special month in more ways than one – a Happy Birthday to Brandon and welcoming a newborn sibling!