21 Dec Part 2: Baby Cece’s Story
One family’s journey, an entire community of support
Cece’s medical journey has gotten tougher. After recovering from her open-heart surgery—performed just three days after Cece was born—Kristin and Jordan were relieved and excited to travel home with their tiny warrior. 
As soon as they stepped off the plane, Cece was showered with love and adoration from her grandparents and doting family. Her feline siblings, Pumpkin, Porkchop, and Peppermint, provided extra cuddles. All in all, everyone was settling into a new normal. Then, three weeks later, Kristin couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right with Cece.
They took Cece to the emergency room and were immediately put on a plane and flown back to her medical team in the Bay Area. Her heart was failing.
“She coded as soon as we walked through the hospital doors,” said Kristin. “Now we’re just waiting for a heart transplant.” The news was devastating.
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“Our daughter has been through more in her four months of life than some people will ever have to face in a lifetime,” Kristin said. “Yet she’s still smiling.”
Through it all—and only thanks to the support of people like you—RMHC Bay Area has provided stability, resources, and moments of solace to families like Cece’s.
“There are definitely moments of weakness,” Jordan said, “but just looking at our daughter and everything she’s gone through—if she can go through all that, I think we can be strong.”—Cece’s dad, Jordan
“To those who don’t know what the Ronald McDonald House is all about, they provide us with a home away from home, a sanctuary, a place of safety,” Jordan said, who is spending most of his time at Ronald McDonald House while Kristin stays at the hospital with Cece.
By donating today, you allow us to keep housing, feeding, and supporting families with sick children. Without the services you help provide, families would suffer more isolation and feel more alone.
“The stories and the situations at Ronald McDonald House are sad,” Jordan said. “But this doesn’t feel like a sad place. It feels like a place of healing.”
Kristin says, “You have to stay strong for your child who’s fighting for their life every day.” Thank you for doing what you can this holiday season to provide a source of strength when families like Cece’s need it most.