The Dover Family Story
“I’d go anywhere if it means Ashton can be healthy,” Malissa shared after reflecting on her time at Ronald McDonald House of the Four States with her son. “I’m just thankful that there happened to be a Ronald McDonald House down the street.”
While Ashton participated in the 12-week feeding clinic at the Bill & Virginia Leffen Center for Autism, he and his mom called our House their home-away-from-home. For 44 total nights, it was their place to rest, do homeschool, eat, socialize, and decompress in between appointments.
Malissa quickly realized what a relief the House was, both financially and emotionally.
“Honestly, we would not have been able to be a part of the program without the Ronald McDonald House. I could not have afforded to make the four-hour round-trip every day or stay in a hotel. But even if we could have, Ashton would not have emotionally been able to make it through his therapies. We were able to go right back to the Ronald McDonald House after tough appointments to let Ashton decompress. Having his own space so close to the Center truly helped him cope.”
The staff at the Leffen Center witnessed the benefits of Ashton’s close proximity to the clinic. On the days that Malissa and Ashton drove in from Lebanon, they noticed that he was more tired and had more behavioral issues than normal.
“Commuting back and forth takes a physical and mental toll on the child and their parents,” said Melissa Stiffler, Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the Leffen Center. “Ashton had a comfortable, relaxing space to rest in between his three sessions per day with us, which likely led to better outcomes for him in the feeding clinic.”
“RMH became my home base, too,” Malissa continued. “I don’t think I’ve been as relaxed as I was at the House since I had Ashton 12 years ago. I am always so focused on taking care of him—making sure he is fed—that I don’t even think about my own needs. The staff and volunteers cared about my well-being, and the meal donors made it possible for me to eat real meals for the first time in a long time. I could take a deep breath there.”
Malissa and Ashton were able to go home most weekends to see family and enjoy their normal routines, but they also found moments of normalcy — and fun! — during their stay.
“I appreciated the chance to go to the Y down the street while Ashton was in appointments, and he loved going to the pool and to the local museum. One of our favorite memories was on Halloween, when Ashton got to show off his dinosaur costume with the staff, volunteers, and other families. It meant so much to him.
“Ashton looks back on the House as a fun place, even though he was going through a difficult time. Now any time we go to McDonald’s, Ashton is so excited to Round-Up and donate to Ronald McDonald House. He recognized how special of a place it was, and he always tells people that they do a great job there.”
The House will always be Malissa and Ashton’s home-away-from-home.
“Everyone was so open and welcoming at the Ronald McDonald House,” Malissa said. “They wanted to help, and they sought to understand Ashton. We felt accepted there. The staff and volunteers treated us like family and helped us tremendously.”
