The Hall Family

The Hall Family - David, Hannah, Daniel, and DJ

The First Stay at the Ronald McDonald House® Greater Chattanooga – 50 nights!

David and Hannah Hall of Cookeville, Tennessee, stayed at Ronald McDonald House Greater Chattanooga to be close to their newborn twin boys, Daniel and DJ, in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital at Erlanger. Daniel weighed 4 lbs 4 oz and needed help breathing. DJ weighed 1 lb 4 oz and needed time to grow and learn to breathe and eat on his own.

Staying at the House meant David and Hannah didn’t face a two-hour drive or hotel bills. When Daniel was ready to leave the hospital halfway through their stay, he joined his parents at the House while DJ kept growing in the NICU.

Best memory for these parents: Being able to have a home for [Daniel].

Hannah and David shared: “This is [Daniel’s] first home so to speak…this is where he got his first bath outside the NICU, this is where he got his first bottle after the NICU this is where he will have slept for many nights. Even though our family is not together and we’re missing a piece, he’s still living as normal as possible. I think that’s the best thing about being here, we can give [Daniel] the quality that he deserves.”

The Second Stay at the Ronald McDonald House Greater Chattanooga – 30 nights!

A few weeks later, both boys contracted RSV and returned to Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, this time on ventilators and receiving blood infusions. David and Hannah checked back into the House so they could be by their sons’ side every day.

Hannah shared just how intense it was for their family:

“There were a lot of days for Daniel and weeks for DJ that we had no idea if we were going to get to take them home. I’m sitting here right now watching my two little boys squirm on the floor and play with toys and there were a few days I didn’t know if that would happen…if I would leave with two babies, one baby or no babies. I’m just really really thankful and David is too and our families for all the love and support that we received while we were there. It made a really traumatic situation a little easier and that’s something we’ll never be able to say thank you enough for!”

What the House provided

• No two-hour drive and no hotel costs
• A bed, a shower, and snacks steps from their boys
• “We actually had a bed with pillows and a shower, snacks and things like that.”
• Homemade meals to come “home” to
• A place to rest while family stayed with the boys in the PICU

Thank you to our donors. Your gifts let families like the Halls stay near the care their children need, together, when life is turned upside down.