19 Nov Meet Our Families – William Jones

Posted at 15:29h in Families, The House by

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Augusta provides a home-away-from-home for over 1,000 families each year and we love when our families share their stories. The Jones family shared this story (edited for publishing).

At seven days old, William Jones and his family received the news about his kidney failure while staying at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Jacksonville. There, William had Posterior Urethral Valve (PUV) surgery to preserve his kidney and bladder function.  William was then placed on the kidney transplant list, where he and his family waited patiently for four years.

On November 1, 2019, William’s mother got a call that he would be receiving a kidney. With joy and excitement, they packed their bags and headed to the Children’s Hospital of Georgia. After William’s surgery, he was discharged to begin semi-weekly clinic appointments.

His mother tells us that,” with his usual strength and flexibility, William is managing his rigorous medicine regimen and the accompanying side effects. ” But even with this exhausting treatment, William walks around the house with excitement and enthusiasm. His favorite part of the day is helping cook breakfast for his family and guests in the house.

When William is not at the clinic or serving others in the House, you can find him playing Uno with this family in the dining room. William’s dad said, “The Ronald McDonald House has played a critical role in allowing us to stay close to William while receiving the medical care he desperately needs.”

William is looking forward to being home for Thanksgiving where he can help his mother cook and get back to playing and living life like a 10-year old boy.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Augusta serves over 1,000 families each year. Our volunteer-run community kitchen serves over 15,000 meals, and our volunteers and families run over 5,000 loads of laundry every year.

We hope that this story has inspired you to get involved and help families just like this one. The staff, our volunteers, and the Board of Directors thank the Heath family for sharing their story and we hope everyone will get involved.