RICHMOND, VA. — Wednesday marked one month since Le-Anne Clyne flew from Saint Lucia to Virginia so her daughter, Kahlea, could receive life-saving heart surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.
The 10-month-old happy baby was diagnosed with a congenital heart disease which required surgery only offered by American doctors.
World Pediatric Project and Mount Gilead Ministries sponsored the family and, at first, Clyne didn’t know how long her unexpected stay in Richmond would last.
Visiting the U.S. for the first time, they have found solace at a temporary home with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Richmond (RMHC) in the Fan district.
“It feels very homey and very welcoming. It makes it very comfortable to stay here. I'm actually going to miss here when I go back home, because I like the place. I love the neighborhood, so I'm actually going to miss here,” Clyne said.
Since 1980, the house on Monument Avenue has helped countless families during what are tough and difficult moments.
“Everybody just embraces you and they’re very empathetic. It makes it easier to cope with being away from home, and it takes away from the stress of worrying about my baby in the hospital,” Clyne said.
CEO Emily Toalson said the families stay for free, while the nonprofit provides transportation to the hospital and laundry. About 500 people have volunteered at the home so far this year, including cooking and preparing around-the-clock meals.
“It’s a very stressful and scary time for families. We want to provide that place of respite, a safe haven, a place where they can escape the hospital environment,” Toalson said. "There's nothing harder than having a child in the hospital."
Toalson heard firsthand from one Northern Virginia mother who said she was experiencing one of the worst weeks of her life after their child was recently admitted to CHoR.
That mother said her family arrived to the house at four in the morning and was immediately welcomed inside.
The average stay at the Ronald McDonald House is eight days, which can quickly add up financially if families are forced to find their own lodging.
Over the last 45 years, RMHC has witnessed the local need grow and has expanded their offerings beyond the cornerstone home.
The organization installed a four-bedroom home at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR), sleep rooms and a lounge at St. Mary’s Hospital on Bremo Road, and a family room at Johnston-Willis Hospital. RMHC pays for a hotel if the spaces are full.
CHoR and St. Mary’s are expanding their neonatal intensive care units and demand for care continues to surge.
Toalson said the nonprofit has outgrown the Richmond home as it offers nine bedrooms with only one ADA accessible room.
“While this serves a beautiful purpose, we are not meeting the need, and our goal is that we never have to turn a family away,” she said.
To respond to the demand, RMHC is planning a big move to Historic Jackson Ward at West 505 Leigh Street and the intersection with North Belvidere Street.
The future 52,000-square-foot project is a mile from CHoR and a short drive from the Richmond Region’s other pediatric-serving referral partners.
With four immunocompromised suites, community meeting spaces, ample outdoor space, family lounges and more, RMHC Richmond’s new home-away-from-home will enhance the organization’s program offerings and triple the number of families currently being served, according to a press release.
The new Ronald McDonald Home would include 50 hotel-style beds equipped with their own bathrooms. Architects were intentional about designing a campus that fits the existing neighborhood.
While green space in the city is hard to find, RMHC’s new home will add features the current facility can’t provide.
“We are looking forward to being able to provide an outdoor space, a haven for families to also gather and play and seek respite during a really difficult time,” Toalson said.
The organization is about halfway to their goal of raising $40 million and recently received generous donations including a $2 million gift from Rob and Jean Estes.
Yet, Toalson said they still need the public’s help.
“Share our story. Talk about the impact that we have here in the community, that if needed, the community knows where to come and knows what we can do for them,” she said.
Thankfully, Kahlea and her mother will return to their home country in the Caribbean next week after spending a month at RMHC.
“They take that worry away from you, and they basically shoulder that burden. So, it makes it so much easier to cope with being away from home,” Clyne said.
The organization aims to break ground in fall of 2026 and hopes for project completion as soon as the end of 2027.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
