Page 5 - Hawaii Island MIdWeek - Feb 24, 2021

T he Semeatu-Luaifoas left jobs, family and belongings in West- ern Samoa and flew with their youngest daughter to O‘ahu for urgent medical care. They arrived at Honolulu’s airport with few belongings, and no lodgings, food or reliable
PROOF POSITIVE
Providing A Home Away From Home
FEBRUARY 24, 2021
HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK 5
HOME HEALTH/CARE AGENCY
Aloha TLC Home Care LLC
Senior Care and Behavioral Health Services
• Now Hiring caregivers/CNAs
• On the job training w/flexible hrs & schedules • Pay starng at $14-$16/hr or $170/day
Ph. 491-2273 alohatlchomecare.com
By Jerri Chong, president of Ronald McDonald House Charities Hawai‘i
transportation.
When their daughter Nina
was diagnosed with leukemia requiring surgeries, chemo- therapy and other medical procedures, the couple was relieved that Ronald McDon- ald House would be “home” during her treatments. This meant her siblings, who she cried for, could join them.
The Semeatu-Luaifoa family benefited from the services provided by Ronald McDonald House Charities Hawai‘i while their daughter Nina was getting treatment for leukemia. PHOTOS COURTESY RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES HAWAI‘I
Mainland and Pacific Islands. We rely 100 percent on community support, so fund- raising is always our greatest challenge—especially during the pandemic. Last year, dona- tions and in-kind and volunteer services helped us maintain our Houses, provide services, and complete our Family Recre- ation Center, our first capital expansion in 15 years, at our
offer essential services for families needing specialized care on O‘ahu — for free — so they can focus on health and healing in order to recov-
SPEED BUMP by Dave Coverly
er and grow stronger.
The family was looking
Providing a home away from home and keeping fam- ilies close is our mission. We
forward to their teenage son Nicholas joining them for the holidays. Just before his trip, however, he was diagnosed with a serious heart condi- tion. He would learn it could be controlled with medication and a healthy diet. Stress on the family could have taken a huge toll, but being togeth- er at the Ronald McDonald House helped ease worries and kept them strong.
We offer essential services
for families needing specialized care on O‘ahu ... so they can focus on health and healing
in order to recover.
“It was the environment, staff, and other families shar- ing stories, supporting and encouraging us, that gave us hope and healing,” says Seu- ga, Nina’s mother.
verse needs of family mem- bers; it includes children’s play areas, family gathering spaces, an indoor tree house, gaming wall, and distance learning center.
In a typical year, near- ly 400 families stay at our Houses, with a majority coming from the Big Island (40 percent) and Maui (33 percent). They also come from Kaua‘i, Lāna‘i, the U.S.
In addition to re-inventing our fundraisers, we’ve added non-contact and online ways to donate to help support our families. For more infor- mation, go to ronaldhouse- hawaii.org or contact us at info@rmhchawaii.org.
Judd Hillside House.
The new area meets the di-