7-month-old Clara shoots her mother a bright-eyed grin as globs of oatmeal migrate in slow motion down her chin. Clara has started to chat with herself in the dark pre-dawn hours, sometimes emitting a sweet, singsong sigh. Laura says this noise is her kryptonite. She can’t get enough of it.

This time last year, Laura was filled with anxiety. She was several months into her pregnancy with Clara when she learned that there were complications- one possible outcome was a premature birth that could endanger both their lives. Minutes would matter if anything occurred during the rest of her pregnancy, and she would need to stay close to the hospital. As Laura considered how to stay close to the hospital without breaking the bank, her doctor mentioned what would be her saving grace that summer: the Ronald McDonald House in Missoula.

Walking into the Ronald McDonald House for the first time, Laura remembers the warm smile and welcome from Amy Peterson. Amy could read the strain on her face, despite Laura’s best efforts to conceal it. Amy’s kindness, energy and affability – along with that of her team – were steadfast in Laura’s time of fear and waiting. But Laura wasn’t alone at the House. Other guests there knew what Laura was enduring, and they shared similar stories. Laura stayed alongside a young mom of twins in the NICU, the family of a toddler who had undergone multiple surgeries, and another soon-to-be mom witha high-risk pregnancy.

Laura tears up thinking about the generosity of the House and those who work there. “It’s so much more than a roof over a stressed parent’s head. The team there is a living, breathing testament to what it means to be of service to others – particularly in hard times.”

Front desk volunteers greeted parents who had been walking back and forth to the NICU every few hours. Members of the community restocked the community fridge and put treats out for the next day. Staff coordinated with the hospital’s social worker to make sure the next guest had a place to lay their head if they needed to be close to the hospital.

“I think many of us, if we’ve been in the world long enough, have had an experience or two that reminds us just how fragile life is. We are so lucky in Montana to have a place like the Ronald McDonald House to help lift up our friends and neighbors,” says Laura, smiling and reflecting on the day the family was able to leave the House with a healthy little girl.

The Ronald McDonald House helps lift up friends and neighbors during the scariest times as a parent. Laura and her husband, Mac, celebrate the gift that is Clara today and everyday. Every sound. Every smile. Every sweet, singsong sigh. Laura is forever grateful to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Montana for helping make her little family a reality.