23 Apr A Special Bond Shared at the Ronald McDonald House
Mothers Sherry and Paige share a unique bond. Both from Tampa, Florida, they each have a daughter with biliary atresia, a very rare liver disease. Sherry and Paige were connected on Facebook through mutual friends a few years ago. Although they kept in touch online, they had never officially met in person until they bumped into each other at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “We are both from Tampa, so to have another friend in the same city with a daughter with the same liver disease is crazy,”describes Paige.
Sherry’s daughter, Addison, and Paige’s daughter, Corrie, were both on the waiting list for a liver transplant and this past February they each received the news that their girls had a liver. Addison received a life-saving liver transplant the early morning of February 4, and Corrie received her transplant on February 6. “I was praying for our girls to get their livers at the same time and not two days apart were they transplanted,” Paige explains. “Paige sent me a message and I couldn’t believe it,” describes Sherry.
Following the transplants, Sherry, Paige, and their daughters came to the Ronald McDonald House. While Corrie and Addison recovered together, their moms grew closer. “It’s been awesome because we don’t have to go through this alone,” says Paige. Throughout their stay at the House, the moms found comfort in their friendship as their girls grew stronger. “They have been resilient,” explains Paige, “eating and laughing like they haven’t been through what they’ve been through.” Sherry adds, “Being here is a great transition before going home.”
Today, Paige and Sherry are home with their girls and are adjusting to life after transplant. “I’m trying to enjoy re-entering my “real” life of lots of laundry, dishes, homeschooling, and running errands,” Paige describes. “I have to admit we got a little spoiled with the communal living at the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House.” Sherry adds, “Addison is doing really well. She is very happy to be home and close to our friends.”Sherry and Paige still keep in touch to talk about life at home, their girls’ bright and healthy futures, and the place that helped make all of it possible – the Ronald McDonald House.