At just 28 weeks into her pregnancy, Lynn woke up early with a sinking feeling that something wasn’t right. She began to notice a slow leak and guessed it was from her amniotic sac. She decided she needed to see her doctor, who confirmed her fears.

Lynn was admitted to the hospital the same day in hopes of prolonging her pregnancy for as long as possible. After just over a week in the hospital, however, her baby’s heart rate dropped dramatically and he began showing signs of distress. Creed was born at Deaconess Women’s Hospital by emergency C-section weighing just 2 pounds 15 ounces. Other than needing a C-pap to help him breathe, Creed was healthy, much to the relief of Lynn and Creed’s father, Alex.

The couple were invited to stay at Ronald McDonald House Gateway while Creed received the critical care he needed in the NICU. “We were a little nervous at first but also amazed at how nice the House was. Our bedroom was perfect and had everything we needed. The volunteers and staff went above and beyond to see that we were taken care of. It felt like home. It felt like family,” said Lynn.

The most important thing, the couple recalled, was that they were so close to Creed during his hospitalization. “We could be part of every feeding, every decision. We could bond with our son, which could only be possible because of Ronald McDonald House.”

Living over 75 miles away, Lynn and Alex shared that they would not have been able to visit Creed nearly as often had it not been for the House. With Lynn not working and Alex having lost his job because of a car accident shortly before Creed’s birth, money was tight. “There’s no way we could have afforded a hotel even for a week much less over two months,” said Alex.

Lynn and Alex, along with Creed’s big sister Avi, lived at Ronald McDonald House for 79 days before the family returned to their home in Apex, Kentucky. Alex will return to his job as a coal miner once he’s fully recovered from his accident, and Lynn recently started a new job as a certified nurse assistant. Avi, who stole the hearts of everyone at Ronald McDonald House, is just focused on being the best big sister she can be.

“Sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together.” ― Marilyn Monroe