2026 F A M I L Y
P R O F I L E
McHugh Family Home: Republic, MO (Greene County)
“Our son Asa was born in July of 2023 after a very normal,
uneventful delivery at a local birthing center. We went home, introduced the baby to his big brothers, and started settling into life as a family of five. Three days later, our midwives noticed that Asa was having chest retractions and fast, unsteady breathing and recommended that we take him to be checked out immediately. We admitted him to the Mercy NICU that day and went through the roller coaster of emotions that comes with having a child in the NICU. We brought Asa in thinking it was just a minor issue and were met with a plethora of symptoms and health issues related to his heart and respiratory system. He had fluid on his lungs and heart, and it took 10 days in the NICU to figure out what was wrong and how to treat it. In the meantime, Asa’s life hung in the balance, and we had no choice but to wrestle with the uncertainty and vulnerability while watching our newborn baby in constant pain. With the help of family watching our two older boys, my husband and I stayed with Asa for the entirety of his stay. For three days, neither of us slept, showered, or ate because we didn’t want to leave his side for even a moment— much less travel out of the city to go home to shower or rest. One of our NICU nurses recommended the Ronald McDonald House, which was just a few floors up in the same building. This made it so easy to quickly take a shower or grab dinner. On night four, we checked in at the Ronald McDonald House and, subsequently, had our first meal, shower, and night’s sleep. Without the support of RMH and all their volunteers, our 10-day visit to the NICU would have been so much more difficult and heavy. Words cannot describe how much care, compassion, and attention to detail the Ronald McDonald House shows parents and families helping their children through a health emergency. After days of sleeping on hospital chairs, checking into our room and sleeping in a real bed was such a tremendous blessing. After not showering for days, we were gifted a plethora of self-care products. We had barely eaten for days, and the Ronald McDonald House provided hot coffee, snacks, and a warm meal for dinner every evening. We were overwhelmed with gratitude and relief. Our room was truly our safe haven from the pain and uncertainty of having a baby in the NICU. It allowed us to reset and recharge so that we could best comfort and support our baby during his most vulnerable time. Words cannot express how thankful we are for our time at the Ronald McDonald House, as well as our deep gratitude to all the Mercy staff who helped save our son’s life. Although this was the hardest thing our family has ever faced, so much blessing has come from it—most of all, a healthy child. Asa is now two years old, and he is a spunky, electric spitfire of a child. He loves books, animals, playing at the splash pad, building, and following his big brothers everywhere they go. Thank you to all the volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House who gave us so much comfort, support, and compassion during the most vulnerable and challenging time our family has faced.”
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