For 53 agonizing nights, Renee Bailer slept crunched up in a chair at Erlanger hospital as her then-4-year-old son fought respiratory infections while connected to a respirator. But on her 54th night, she became the first parent to stay at the Ronald McDonald House.
"It was just amazing," said Bailer of Dalton.
She went from dozing under a community blanket in a pleather chair to resting in a comfortable bed with her own bathroom. And she was still close enough to the hospital to nurse her son back to health.
The Dalton mother and her family returned to the Ronald McDonald House on Thursday in celebration of its 25th anniversary.
Daniel Bailer, center, and his family members were the first occupants of the Ronald McDonald House, which opened in 1990. Clockwise from center are Bailer, Mary Rice, Renee Bailer, Marie Economy and Jane Kaylor.More Info
For more information about Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga, visit www.rmhchattanooga.com.
"Peace and quiet. A good night's rest. It was great," said Bailer, recalling her stay at the house.
The Bailers are among 25 families that Ronald McDonald House officials asked to return and share stories about the facility. Each family represents one of the 25 years the house existed, said director Jane Kaylor.
Kaylor has firsthand knowledge of the physical toll parents experience when caring for a sick child. She cared for her child for six years at St. Jude Hospital in Memphis before she died at age 9 of cancer. There was no Ronald McDonald House available to her then, she said.
In celebration of the Chattanooga Ronald McDonald House anniversary, officials also announced a Mary's Pantry Endowment Fund fundraiser for $150,000. A local donor committed to matching every dollar toward the fund up to $75,000.
The money provides food for residents who live at the house. Every night at 6 p.m., all Ronald McDonald House families enjoy a cooked meal prepared by volunteers. The house also offers a "help yourself" kitchen stocked with drinks, frozen foods and canned goods that families are welcome to use on their own.
The Ronald McDonald Houses hosts 26 families a night, about 570 families a year.
The $1.2 million house opened November 1990 with 14 bedrooms to temporarily house out-of-town families of ill and injured children who receive treatment at local hospitals. It was the 137th Ronald McDonald House in the country.
Ten years after the grand opening, house officials gathered community donations and did a capital campaign fund for a $3.2 million renovation, which increased the facility to 26 beds and a private bathrooms in each bedroom.
Each family is asked to pay $10 a night to use the house. Those who can't pay may opt to do a chore to contribute while they stay at the house.
Daniel Bailer said having his mom and dad with him helped him heal.
"Because I was 4 I was scared to be on my own," said Bailer, 29. "With them just being there made me happier, made me feel better."
Contact staff writer Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 757-6431.