01 Feb Paying it Forward: Quinn Evans, A Spring Volunteer Services Intern
Meet Quinn Evans, a senior at the University of Georgia, who is one of our compassionate, positive, and friendly family and house services interns this spring. She is pursuing a bachelor’s in human development and family science, as well as, a minor in Spanish.
Quinn’s childhood experience with medical crisis makes her perfectly suited for her role as a family and house services intern.
On Aug. 4, 2008, Quinn woke up feeling fine but felt sicker as the day progressed because a virus was attacking to her heart. Her parents promptly brought her to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.
Upon arrival, Quinn’s heart started to fail. CPR was started, which lasted 45 minutes. After three code blues, she was stable enough to be placed on ECMO – extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, a heart-lung bypass machine – for six days, and on life support for a total of 15 days.
During this time, Quinn suffered from a brain injury and a stroke, which left her paralyzed on the left side. She spent some time recovering at Egleston before transferring to Scottish Rite for 31 days of inpatient rehab.
Living the ARMHC Mission
Quinn lived the mission of the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities because her family stayed at both Houses when she was a patient at Egleston and Scottish Rite.
“The House really made a huge impact on my family because of the whirlwind of how sick I got so quickly, and how long I was in the hospital. It allowed us to be close and remain a family unit while I was sick!” Quinn says.
Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities “offers connection, community, and care for families who are coping with the hospitalization of their child, and offering a safe and comforting place where families can remain a unit, and their primary focus can be to support their child,” Quinn says.
As the family and house services intern, Quinn will serve and support the families, in a hands-on manner.
“I know from personal experience how impactful the organization is on families who are experiencing the hospitalization of a child, which can be a very distressing and emotional experience,” Quinn says.
Quin is looking forward to gaining a deeper and more holistic understanding of the organization, the needs of the families we serve.
“I am so honored and excited to be a part of this Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities! I can’t wait to learn and grow through this opportunity, and support this organization that made such an impact on my family!”