From left to right are four-year-old Zion, six-month-old Javi, and two-year-old Luca.
Luca bonding with Javi.
Baby Javi!
Zion and Luca during one of their visits to see their baby brother, Javi.
From left to right: The Cuevas Family, Zion held by Dad, Luis, and Sammi holding Luca.
In November 2023, Sammi and Luis learned that their unborn son Javi had 22Q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. They faced the terrifying reality of a heart defect that would require surgery shortly after his birth. The lives of the family of four including 4-year-old Zion, and 2-year-old Luca became a whirlwind of doctor’s appointments and uncertainty as they braced for the challenges ahead.
Javi was born five weeks early and spent 30 days at the NICU in their local hospital in Boise, Idaho. There, Javi gained strength to be discharged expecting his first open-heart surgery a few months later. Their time at home after discharge turned into horrifying ambulance rides, a rotating door at the hospital, and constant fear of losing their son. Javi’s heart surgery couldn’t wait.
The Cuevas family flew from Boise to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, expecting to be there for just a week. Instead, Javi endured three surgeries, and the family’s stay extended for months. At first, while Javi was fighting to recover in the Cardiovascular ICU, Sammi and Luis stayed in a hotel 30 minutes away, but the cost and distance were overwhelming. That’s when Ronald McDonald House Charities welcomed them in and brought relief to their difficult situation.
At RMHC, the Cuevas family was able to stay close to Javi’s bedside, with their two other children, Zion and Luca, joining them. They no longer had to worry about food, laundry, or where to sleep. The House became their sanctuary, allowing them to focus on Javi’s recovery.
The support from RMHC made a world of difference. With home-cooked meals, activities like Tuesday Bingo Night for Zion and Luca, and a community around them, the Cuevas family found comfort and healing amid uncertainty.
Thanks to the generosity of the RMHC Bay Area community, the Cuevas family could stay together and care for Javi when he needed them most.
As parents it was unfathomable to not be at Javi’s bedside for his surgeries, for making tough decisions, and to support him while we watched him struggle to recover time and time again. With the support of Ronald McDonald House Charities, we are just steps away.``
When 5-year-old, Brennan was diagnosed with a brain tumor after suffering from seizures. This family’s world changed in a matter of seconds, but from the moment they got the news from the doctors in Reno, Nevada, Jason, Brennan’s dad shares, Read more about Brennan’s Story — The Best Experience You Never Want...
My name is Lizbeth. I’m an 18-year-old who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when I was 11 months old. My mom and Read more about Facing Cystic Fibrosis Together – Lizbeth’s Perspective...
The Larry C. Tripplett Sr. Family Center at RMH Oakland is officially open for both overnight stays and day pass families. Both programs serve families with critically ill children being treated at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. Read more about Together Under One Roof, Supporting Families Facing Medical Crisis...
Aug. 8 — Last week, Is-e Hogan, grandmother of Jackson Sattler, and her friends hosted a wonderful dinner for RMHC Bay Area families honoring the memory of Jackson Sattler's sixth birthday. The group served pizza, mac-n-cheese, and salad, some of Jackson's favorite foods.... Read more about Mission Moment – Giving Back for Jackson...
