17 Nov Tears of Joy & Gratitude: Meet the Guillorys

Staying at the Ronald McDonald House “meant so much to me to be close to the hospital and have a place where his medicine could be delivered, where I didn’t have to worry about safety, and a place where there were people who understood what me and my son were going through,” says O’Shea Guillory, mom to twins, Saxton and Sawyer, 5.

Sawyer and Saxton Guillory

O’Shea and her twins, Saxton and Sawyer, stayed with us for two months in 2019 when Sawyer was treated for Sickle Cell Anemia SS. During Sawyer’s diagnosis, O’Shea was told about the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House.

“You know it’s a great place when Sawyer asks to come back and speaks of his room and the playrooms often,” O’Shea says. “I do cry at times now, but they are truly tears of joy and gratitude for the amazing experience, people, and Sawyer’s new lease on life from our bone marrow transplant journey. We are forever indebted, and my words will never be able to express our gratitude and appreciation enough for everyone and everything that each of you helped to do for our family.”

Because Sawyer was a transplant patient, it was vital to his safety to be in a safe and clean area. O’Shea stayed in our transplant suites with her two sons for 2 months in 2019. “It was a sigh of relief,” said O’Shea. “Everything was planned and prepared for us, we just had to move our things from this hospital to the House.”

Calling the Ronald McDonald House near Egleston her home-away-from-home, O’Shea is grateful for the warmth, welcoming and caring spirit. O’Shea’s husband, Shawn, was overseas serving in the military, so having a comforting environment to stay with her sons made a difference.

“The staff made it so easy to not have to worry and wonder about things,” O’Shea says. “That is not something you should have to worry about when you have a sick child. I can’t thank you enough, my family can’t thank you enough. Your willingness to support and to give helps families like myself and my son who wouldn’t know what to do or where to go in our situations. From the bottom of my heart, we truly thank you.”