Prayers Needed!

If everyone could keep my best friend's niece, Britta, in your prayers it would be much appreciated. She's a beautiful 7 month old who has been in Minneapolis Children's ICU for about two weeks. She's had RSV, pneumonia, and a couple other infections that have made her lungs not function properly. She is now on a ECMO machine that has put her lungs on bypass.  Please pray for her and her family. Her older brother and sister are missing her terribly! 

This weekend her brother and sister get to come down and have some quality time with their parents who are now staying at the Ronald McDonald House.  If you are unfamiliar with the Ronald McDonald House it is a "home away from home" for families with a child who has cancer or other life threatening illnesses. This is a non-profit that survives on donations from the community and volunteers who are the "heartbeat of the house."  They offer so much for these families. The average stay for a transplant family is 120 days, while all other families average 54.  Here a list of some of the awesome services they provide:

• House managers available 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. every day
• Three kitchen stations, a stocked food pantry and a community kitchen for groups to use when preparing nightly meals
• A one-room schoolhouse for patients and siblings to continue their studies. The school has a full-time licensed teacher, a part-time teacher’s aide and is supported by regular weekly volunteers
• A resource room with a library and eight computers allowing parents to work remotely
• A movie theater with movies shown twice a week 
• 24-hour laundry facilities
• Numerous family activities such as BINGO, arts & crafts and a bouncy house
• Two children’s indoor play areas and two outdoor play areas – both fenced in, offering parents an opportunity to relax while their children play 
• A 24-hour workout facility 
• Two game rooms with arcade games, a pool table, foosball and bubble hockey
• A 1⁄2 court gymnasium
• An after-school program for kids that includes cooking, crafts, games, music, art and pet therapy
• A scrapbooking room for families to make new memories
• A large patio area for families to barbecue or enjoy the summer weather
• Bedding, towels and all paper products are provided. Toiletries are also available
• Transportation to Target is provided twice a week
• Extensive video and new release DVD library

If you are looking for volunteer opportunities the Ronald McDonald house sure could use you.
Volunteer