First-time parents Andrew and Kelsey Marcum waited weeks for their baby’s first ultrasound, only to be surprised that they were expecting twins. Little did they know, the unexpected surprises would not stop there. At 34 weeks and a day, Kelsey felt her first contraction. Then, her water broke, sending the couple into excitement and fear as they prepared to meet their twins, Ryder and Riley, 6 weeks before their due date. 

“At the time, I didn’t realize how long they would be in the hospital; it was just full excitement on getting to see them.” -Kelsey Marcum.

After the twins were delivered, the hospital staff shared that Ryder and Riley would be admitted into the NICU. With Kelsey and the twins all considered patients, Andrew’s mind began to race.

“It was a lot to think about. We lived 30 minutes out, and we knew Kelsey would be there for a while; I had a limited amount of time I could stay away from work. There was a lot of anxiousness and unanswered questions that we were going through.” – Andrew Marcum

With family support out of reach, Andrew and Kelsey began to feel overwhelmed thinking about returning home and being 30 minutes away from the twins, potential hotel and food expenses, and needing special accommodations for Kelsey to heal.

“There they are in the hospital with two kids, not one, they’re in the [NICU], and there is nothing we can do as grandparents to help them.” – Mike Marcum, grandfather of Ryder and Riley

Located on the 4th floor of Mercy Hospital, where the twins were growing strong in the NICU, the Ronald McDonald Family Room would become the comforting solution the Marcum Family desperately needed. When Andrew walked into the reception area, he knew he had found relief… With no questions asked, the Family Room staff quickly prepared a room for the Marcum family. 

The Ronald McDonald Family Room offered the Marcums all the necessities, including;  meals, a comfortable space to call home, and, most importantly, a 13-night stay for Andrew and Kelsey to remain close to Ryder and Riley during their NICU stay.  

“If the Ronald McDonald [Family] Room wasn’t there, we would have been a lot more stressed out. It would have been less time focused on our kids and enjoying the moments we had with them; with our new family, it would have been a lot less of an enjoyable experience.” – Andrew Marcum

Thank you, Andrew, Kelsey, Ryder, and Riley, for sharing your story and allowing RMHC of Arkoma to be a part of your journey.