LJ arrived at the Ronald McDonald House in June 2014 to receive treatment for leukemia at CHOP. Her mom and dad traveled with her from the Philippines to give her a fighting chance to live beyond her three years of age.

For weeks, LJ was admitted to the oncology unit for very intense chemotherapy and in the fall of 2015, she came to the house. In the beginning, her parents kept her in her room out of fear of getting her sick, but seeing how much LJ needed companionship, they let her join our evening activities. For the first time in months, LJ laughed. LJ played. LJ made friends who were fighting their own battles and learned every volunteers’ name. She celebrated her first Christmas out of the hospital with 24 other families who were filled with gratitude for a house that gave them hot meals every night, transportation to the hospitals every morning and hope all day long.

Jiovani, her father, says that “the house is not just a place to stay…. it serves as a counsel of hope, providing security to subdue worries, and loving support to families in distress.” LJ’s care was extensive, with two appointments every week for blood draws, platelet counts, and tests. Her parents say that at the end of the day, all she wanted to do was come home, to the little house that love built.