When Adina Flores’ son, Alex, was born 18 years ago, he arrived prematurely and was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Within his first two weeks of life, Alex underwent two open-heart surgeries. Following the second, he was airlifted from their home in Sacramento to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford—a hospital and city Adina had never visited. With her husband and eldest son still at home, she arrived in Palo Alto alone, scared, with only the clothes on her back and less than $20 in her pocket.
Over the years, the Flores family has experienced the full spectrum of Ronald McDonald House Bay Area’s support. For shorter hospital visits, they accessed Day Pass services like shower and laundry facilities, no-cost hot meals, and had a moment to catch their breath from the chaos of medical care. During longer stays, Alex’s siblings stayed with Adina at the House. The youngest, Isabella, even participated in Ronald McDonald House Bay Area Summer Camp activities with other House siblings.
In July 2024, the Flores family returned once again—this time for Alex’s heart and liver transplant. While other kids worried about grades or sports, Alex had to worry about survival. The Flores family faced not only the emotional strain of having a critically ill child, but also the devastating financial toll.
Over those 196 days, the House provided the consistency, support, and sense of community they needed to stay strong and present for Alex during his recovery.
Today, Alex is getting stronger and is looking forward to graduating high school in person. As the Flores family adjusts to a new normal, they continue to draw strength from the community that rallied around them. The support of Ronald McDonald House Bay Area—and the generosity of donors like you —remains a lasting part of their journey.
“We joined other families who understood all too well that we were part of a club that no one wanted to belong to, but we find something magical inside the walls of the House. Hope, and courage prevail, and we draw strength from one another.” — Adina, Alex’s Mom
