Full circle moment for mom, son at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Delaware
It was a full circle moment for a Chester County mother and son at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Delaware late last month.
"Wow! Let's see what they have," Catie Mason said to her son, Johnny Grozinski, as they walked into the playroom. "The first time I walked through the doors here to check in after he was born was the hardest day of my life."
Three years later, Mason is back with little Johnny. It really is his first time inside the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Delaware.
"You don't expect these things to happen," Mason said. "You can't plan for this thing to happen or predict, so just one day at a time."
Johnny was born in November 2021 and, at 4 days old, underwent heart surgery. His parents stayed close by at the house.
"Ronald McDonald House was a blessing for us to have a place that was right next door to the hospital to be close to him," Mason said.
She explained how her son underwent several procedures and surgeries over 18 months. Each time, she stayed at the house across the street.
For Mason, her time at the house was one moment at a time. The first-time mother was always by her son's side at Nemours Children's Hospital, while the house provided a sense of "normalcy."
"Having the house here — the meals, the facilities, the outside space, the gardens... just the community — it really helped make the process just easier," Mason said.
Healthwise, Johnny is thriving with his "super heart," having just celebrated his third birthday.
It's the moments like this — seeing her toddler running around the playroom, showing off his cooking skills — that make her smile.
Be a part of the village that helps create the Ronald McDonald House Charities a home away from home. And don't forget to tune into the telethon on CBS Philadelphia on Nov. 21.
To learn more and donate now, visit RMHC.org.