Special birthday announcement #2

Earlier, we teased a second announcement in honor of Carter’s birthday.  Here it is:

The Carter Nedley Foundation is making a gift to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Ohio to sponsor a room at its Cleveland House!

Families staying at a Ronald McDonald House experience a sense of comfort, normalcy, camaraderie and compassion that helps them to remain strong for their children.  The spacious private rooms, beautiful common areas, daily meals and other amenities ease their stress and financial burdens, allowing them to focus on the care of their children.  Families are asked to make a nominal contribution to help offset operating costs, but due to financial hardship half or more are unable to do so.  However, no family is turned away due to inability to pay.

This partnership fulfills a dream of ours since we founded The Carter Nedley Foundation.  During Carter’s treatments in Cincinnati and Columbus our family required extended stays in the local Ronald McDonald Houses.  They very quickly became warm and welcoming homes away from home, and in Columbus we were able to get Carter a temporary discharge from the hospital so that we could spend what would be his last Christmas together as a family in our room.  The wonderful memories we made with him there will be treasured by us forever.

Thanks to Tim O’Callahan and Sara Schoonmaker for their partnership, and for making our experience so special.  Tim and Sara invited Carter’s brothers, Jacob and Michael, to join us for the dedication, and they were there to cut the ribbon on our room!

This has been an incredible year for The Carter Nedley Foundation.  During the summer we announced our first gift to University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's to provide a gaming system for each of the more than twenty rooms in its inpatient cancer unit.  Then we announced a gift to Cleveland Clinic Children's, our longtime partner, in support of its Art and Music Therapy Fund, which will provide opportunities for patients to express themselves and relax, mitigating their pain, decreasing anxiety and improving both mood and coping skills.

We hope that you'll help us to continue serving children in Northeast Ohio affected by cancer, along with their families, and to continue improving patient experience.  Please consider making a fully tax-deductible gift to The Carter Nedley Foundation:

Again, Happy Birthday, son.  We miss you more than words can say, and will love you forever.