NewsRadio Savannah and our sponsor The Dewitt Tilton Group introduces you to the Armitage family and their Ronald McDonald House Of The Coastal Empire experience:
Arianna is a 15-year-old high school freshman. However, her freshman year of high school did not begin quite the way we anticipated that it would. She planned to join her teammates on the basketball court and march with the band during this year's football season. Instead, Arianna was diagnosed with Meningitis Encephalitis and admitted to Dwaine and Cynthia Willett Children’s Hospital at Memorial Health Hospital where she received intensive care for several weeks.
Arianna experienced extreme difficulty walking and her condition began to decline at a very rapid rate. She began having pinpoint seizures, the left side of her face began to droop, and her speech was slurred. She was very sensitive to light and sounds. All she wanted to do was sleep. MRIs, CT scans, x-rays, and blood work were used by a team of doctors to determine how to treat her condition.
As she was treated, she could not use the restroom on her own, so she was on a catheter and when she had bowel movements it took four people to change her safely. She was not permitted to eat
or drink until she began receiving feedings through a feeding tube. As her condition improved, she was still unable to walk and perform self-care needs due to weakness on the left side of her body. As a result, she was transferred to the Children's Hospital of Atlanta to receive intense physical, occupational, and speech therapy while continuing her medications via IVs.
The Ronald McDonald House in Savannah was very supportive throughout Arianna's treatment. They provided snacks, warm showers, a soft bed, laundering facilities, supplies, daily meals, toiletries, toys, encouraging cards, and assorted flowers. If we needed anything, all we had to do was ask. They showed a lot of compassion. They gave care packages and gifts to Ari while she was hospitalized. Volunteers provided meals. The Shop with a Cop program was a tremendous blessing at Christmas
time. I did not have to worry about what the girls would receive for Christmas even though I was unable to work and displaced in Atlanta over a period of several months. Everyone that works in the Ronald McDonald Houses has been kind, compassionate, and caring toward us from the custodial workers to the directors.
Ari has returned to school and has successfully completed her first semester of high school. Currently, she still receives some therapy, yet she still plans to return to basketball and begin the Dual Enrollment program at her high school in the Fall. most recently, she made it through to the state level of the FCCLA Competition.
We are so grateful for all of the doctors, nurses, therapists, counselors, psychologists, surgeons, child life specialists, techs, custodians, cafeteria workers, volunteers, friends, and family members that helped my family through this time. Every kind word, prayer, thought, card, stuffed animal, blanket, sock, phone call, donation, etc, is so appreciated. The Lord really blessed us.
How to help:
⏰ Accepting monetary donations between Now - December 12th, 2022
📍 Please deliver all cash, check, and gift card donations directly to iHeartMedia Savannah, 245 Alfred Street Savannah, GA 31408
💳Forms of donations accepted:
- Click here to make an online donation to the RMH. Add "Shop With A Cop" in memo.
- Checks made out to Ronald McDonald House with "Shop With A Cop" in memo.
- Visa, Master Card, AmEx or Target cards.
- Cash
Sponsored by The Dewitt Tilton Group!