Donations allow Ronald McDonald House to help families while children hospitalized

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Ronald McDonald House Charities helps about 2,000 families in the Tampa Bay area each year.

Families can stay, for free, at the locations while their children undergo medical treatment at any of the local hospitals.

Most of the families come from the surrounding counties, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Sarasota, Polk, etc. Some families come from further away, like the Brolo family.

Claudia and Alex Brolo thought everything about their life in Guatemala was typical. They had a 3-year-old daughter and a 4-month-old son. But then Nina, their little girl, got sick and doctors rushed her to Tampa. That when Mom and Dad learned Nina had two holes in her heart, and is recuperating from pulmonary hypertension so that she can have lifesaving heart surgery. The Brolo’s have been at the East House, in St. Pete, for 6-months. Nina’s little brother, Italo took his first steps with in the walls of this Ronald McDonald House.

“[We are] Very, very grateful, because we have everything here. We miss home. We miss privacy. we miss family. But here we have a home of people that love us,” said Claudia Brolo.

The Brolo family will likely be at the Ronald McDonald house for at least another 6 months, but say they are eternally grateful for this home-away-from-home.

“The word [sic] ‘thank you’ is not enough. We are very grateful for having them,” said Claudia Brolo.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities is a free place for families to stay while their children undergo medical treatment. They do take donations to help run the facility.

Here is how your donations can help: