On July 28th, 2008, John and Rocio Einwich were eagerly awaiting the birth of a healthy baby girl. But almost immediately, Rocio knew things weren’t going as planned.

“Oh my gosh, I knew there was something wrong, because they would not give her to me. I was there in the bed. They just showed her to me but that was it, and they took her,” described Rocio. “I knew there was something wrong but they did not say it.”

Not long after, John and Rocio were blindsided by what multiple sonograms had missed, their baby daughter Isabel had spina bifida.

“We didn’t know whether she was going to walk or not,” John remembered.

The first few trips the family took to learn more about their daughter’s condition, they stayed in hotels.

“Each time in addition to learning something new for our daughter, we had to go to Kansas City then learn what those things cost in Kansas City compared to Wichita,” John said.

Again and again they had to worry about where they were going to stay and how much it would cost. Luckily, they were told about Ronald McDonald House Charities.

“We didn’t know at all about RMHC. We had no idea until the social worker told us,” Rocio remembers.

Just 7 months after learning about Isabel’s condition, she was being prepped for major surgery. Since Isabel was so little when she was born, doctors waited until she was weighed 10 pounds before risking the procedure. Following the surgery, Isabel spent the next 10 days in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

For those 2 weeks the Einwich family called the Ronald McDonald House their home. Rocio’s parents came from Mexico to help with the Einwick’s 4-year-old son Michael. Together they stayed at the Ronald McDonald House throughout Isabel’s surgery and recovery, where he got to play the whole time. ”He was very happy there,” Rocio remembers.

The Einwich family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House on 20 different occasions throughout Isabel’s treatment and recovery. They estimate they spent around 50 nights at their home-away-from home.

Isabel will be celebrating her 8th birthday in July. She loves to read, especially Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Charlottes Web and Harry Potter. She just wants to do what the other kids do.”

Though, the Einwick’s have to continue to go back to Kansas City for her check-ups, these trips don’t scare her.

“Now you tell the kids we’re going to Kansas City and they ask, ‘Do we get to stay in the Ronald McDonald House?’ And it’s a happy time when you say yes,” described Rocio. “We are really, really thankful for the Ronald McDonald House, and for all the things they have done for us and for our family.”