06 Apr In It Together: Serenity’s Story

April 6, 2020

Serenity was enjoying life as 16-year-old girl in Bouse, Arizona. When she wasn’t spending time with her friends, she could be found playing volleyball, basketball, softball and running track for her high school. But when she went to the doctor for what she thought was the flu, Serenity’s world turned upside down.

She was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia that required months of treatment. Over two hours from her hometown, Ronald McDonald House^® became home for Serenity and her family. “We didn’t have to worry about spending money on a hotel or that I would have to be alone in the hospital,” Serenity said. “It was definitely a relief to know that when I was discharged from the hospital, I had a place to come and finish treatment. I could literally walk over to the hospital with my mom for treatment every day.”

Serenity was determined not to let cancer control her. “I didn’t know I was going to lose my hair because I didn’t really understand anything about cancer,” she said. “I couldn’t handle seeing it fall out, so I shaved my hair before it fell out all the way, before I even got bald spots. It was something I didn’t have to worry about anymore, like that was already out of the picture.”

After spending seven months away from home, Serenity finished treatment and returned to her life as a teenage girl, but she’ll remember the comfort and hope the House provided her and her family. “Ronald McDonald House has definitely been a second home to me,” she said. “It helps because it doesn’t make me feel like it’s just me going through it alone.”

You can help Serenity and families like hers by making a tax-deductible donation to the House to support our mission of keeping families together and close to the medical resources they need. Make your gift by April 15, 2020 to be eligible for a tax credit on your 2019 Arizona State tax filings.