08 Jan Meet the Halstead Family
On October 29, 2012, two-year-old Tripp Halstead was struck by a falling tree branch on the playground outside his daycare resulting in a severe traumatic brain injury. Tripp was taken to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, one of the largest pediatric systems in the country specializing in pediatric brain injury. Tripp’s parents, Bill and Stacy, were immediately referred to the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House for a place to stay while Tripp received treatment.
Bill and Stacy have since been guests of the House, making it their “home-away-from-home” while Tripp recovers. “After the accident, it was very touch and go and we weren’t sure Tripp would make it,” Bill says as he remembers the anxiety and fear he and Stacy felt. Knowing that they had a safe haven during their time of need allowed Bill and Stacy to focus primarily on Tripp and his recovery. “People in this situation have no hope and it’s a day to day struggle to make it. And to be able to come here and have a safe and comfortable place to stay is so wonderful,” says Stacy.
Tripp is now in a rehabilitation program and gets better each day. The Halstead family can’t imagine not being near their son over the past two months. “It’s so, so stressful being in a hospital 24/7. You don’t want to leave and the fact that we can be right across the street is amazing. It’s what we need to keep our sanity and know we are still so close to our baby,” explains Stacy.
“To have a place to go when your life is a nightmare… It’s amazing. We just can’t say enough about how wonderful it is to be here.”
Stacy Halstead
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