Home / How To Help / Lizbeth and Ivette – Life Halted, 350 Miles Away

Desktop Version

Finding Comfort, Coping Together

A Community’s Vital Role

image of Ivette, mom, hugging daughter Lizbeth
Ivette on the left side, Lizbeth on the right holding a stuffed toy of pink lungs.

“Having a place to stay after a hard day at the hospital to rest a bit, cook something, or also be able to bring some food for my daughter to the hospital — Todo eso es un alivio, un estrés menos. / Everything is a relief, something less to stress about.” — Lizbeth’s mom, Ivette

Meet the Rosas Family 🌹

image of Ivette, mom, hugging daughter Lizbeth

Facing Cystic Fibrosis Together

Lizbeth was first diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, a chronic condition with no cure, at just 11 months old. Her mother, Ivette, a single mom who had just moved to the United States from Mexico with plans to become a teacher, became Lizbeth’s sole medical caretaker.

In 2021, as Lizbeth’s condition worsened, the two began traveling 350 miles from their home to the Bay Area to access lifesaving care her daughter depended on. Like 40 percent of the families RMHC serves, this meant a loss of work and financial stability for the family.

Your support can ensure no family with a critically ill child has to endure the roller coaster ride of emotions alone.

A Patient’s Perspective

During their latest stay, the family learned that Lizbeth’s condition was worsening, and she would need a double-lung transplant. What they thought would be a short stay turned into nearly a year away from family, friends, work, school, and the support system they relied on at home.

Due to Lizbeth’s condition, doctors advised for her to await her transplant as an in-patient, living inside the hospital. Her mother, Ivette, was housed at the Ronald McDonald House, minutes away from her daughter.

I really appreciate Ronald McDonald House; my mom is on my journey with cystic fibrosis and receiving a transplant. I felt comfortable with her going to a place where she could rest and feel safe. She was able to feel some peace without having to be stressed at the hospital.”
Photo of Lizbeth (left) and mom, Ivette (right).

Thanks to donors like you, this mother and daughter had a community of support by their side as Lizbeth waited for her transplant.

Be there for sick kids and their families. Join our community of support.

P.S. We have more to share with you about the Rosas Family and Lizbeth’s medical journey. Keep an eye on our social media for more updates and sign up for our newsletter.

Donors Make These Stories Possible

Why Your Gift Matters

34,000 overnight stays

nearby and inside the hospital

$15,800,000-worth of supportive housing services

for families with sick children

2,300 hours

of free psychosocial support

93,000 free meals

offsetting $1.4 million in meal expenses

53,300 pounds of food

distributed thanks to our Second Harvest food bank partnership

6,500 toys and care items (62% increase in items over last year!)

donated for Comfort & Joy with an estimated value of $88,000

172 students enrolled

in Ronald McDonald House School (Carter Family Classroom)

1,300 snack packs

delivered to families at the hospital

Mobile Version

Finding Comfort, Coping Together

Meet the Rosas Family 🌹

Facing Cystic Fibrosis Together

image of Ivette, mom, hugging daughter Lizbeth

Lizbeth was first diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, a chronic condition with no cure, at just 11 months old. Her mother, Ivette, a single mom who had just moved to the United States from Mexico with plans to become a teacher, became Lizbeth’s sole medical caretaker.

In 2021, as Lizbeth’s condition worsened, the two began traveling 350 miles from their home to the Bay Area to access lifesaving care her daughter depended on. Like 40 percent of the families RMHC serves, this meant a loss of work and financial stability for the family.

Your support can ensure no family with a critically ill child has to endure the roller coaster ride of emotions alone.

A Patient’s Perspective

During their latest stay, the family learned that Lizbeth’s condition was worsening, and she would need a double-lung transplant. What they thought would be a short stay turned into nearly a year away from family, friends, work, school, and the support system they relied on at home.

Due to Lizbeth’s condition, doctors advised for her to await her transplant as an in-patient, living inside the hospital. Her mother, Ivette, was housed at the Ronald McDonald House, minutes away from her daughter.

I really appreciate Ronald McDonald House; my mom is on my journey with cystic fibrosis and receiving a transplant. I felt comfortable with her going to a place where she could rest and feel safe. She was able to feel some peace without having to be stressed at the hospital.”

Thanks to donors like you, this mother and daughter had a community of support by their side as Lizbeth waited for her transplant.

Donors make these stories possible

Why your gift matters

23,832 overnight stays

nearby and inside the hospital

$11,081,880-worth of supportive housing services

for families with sick children

2,000 hours

of psychosocial support

95,897 free meals

offsetting $1.4 million in meal expenses

92,626 pounds of food

distributed thanks to our Second Harvest food bank partnership

4,000 toys and care items

donated for Comfort & Joy with an estimated value of $88,000

90 students enrolled

in Ronald McDonald House School (Carter Family Classroom)

3,175 snack packs

delivered to families at the hospital