Healthier Communities

How Thermo Fisher Scientific colleagues partner with Ronald McDonald House to support families of pediatric patients

By Ali Cartier

Communications Specialist

The Huggins family from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, had their lives turned upside down when their youngest son, Bryar, was born 10 weeks prematurely.

For the next 82 days, Bryar received round-the-clock care in the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Allyson and Kyle Huggins did not want to leave their infant’s bedside or make the 150-mile trip between their home and the hospital daily, so they stayed at Ronald McDonald House with their older son, Ty, and ate meals there provided by volunteers from Thermo Fisher Scientific until their son Bryar was strong enough to go home.

“My stay at the Ronald McDonald House was like home,” Allyson said. “It was a place to unwind, get a good meal, get some sleep and do it all over the next day for our baby.” Bryar is now a happy and healthy two-year-old.

The Huggins family is among the millions supported annually worldwide by local Ronald McDonald House Charities and their philanthropic partners, including Thermo Fisher. Ronald McDonald House Charities’ efforts saved families an estimated $736 million in lodging and meal expenses last year, they said. 

Bryar Huggins receiving care in the NICU at St. Louis Children's Hospital

“Our Meals from the Heart program is built on the foundation of corporate and community partners who volunteer their time to prepare a meal for families,” said Matt Borchardt, chef with Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis. “Through their dedication and generosity, families continue to be supported in this special way. We see the smiles on the families' faces every day.”

 

The housing and meal program is just one of the ways Ronald McDonald House Charities ease the burden for families. They also have Family Room programs in some hospitals, which give family members a place where they can step away from a child’s bedside for a little time for themselves. Care Mobile programs send vehicles to disadvantaged communities where children can receive comprehensive health care via the mobile clinics.

Thermo Fisher's Community Action Council (CAC) volunteers in Japan, outside the Ronald McDonald House in Tokyo.

“When a child is ill, families are focused on delivering the best care, which often imposes significant emotional, physical and financial burdens,” said Ibuki Nishibe, human resources business partner for Thermo Fisher’s Tokyo site.

 

“When we cook the meals, they feel so happy, and they feel relieved from their stress for the time being. We help give them the power to keep going,” said Ibuki, who leads the Community Action Council (CAC), a colleague-led community volunteer program at the company’s Tokyo site.

 

Thermo Fisher has a network of 160 CACs globally, 10 of which have supported Ronald McDonald Houses across the United States, Germany, Japan, Mexico and Singapore since 2022.

Ibuki shared some feedback from families who stayed at the Ronald McDonald house there.

“This meal was exactly what I needed,” said one parent. “Since it’s difficult to take the time for grocery shopping, I especially appreciated the seasonal ingredients and slow-cooked dishes. Thank you for such thoughtful consideration; it truly lifted my spirits.”

During a typical visit to one of the Ronald McDonald Houses, CAC volunteers spend a few hours cooking and cleaning, before they leave for the day.

To ensure the process runs smoothly, all the groceries and supplies are purchased in advance, so the volunteers can finish cooking before the families come to eat. The capacity of each house varies as well as the number of families actively staying there, so the volunteers may cook for as few as five or as many as 25 families.

To help the Thermo Fisher CACs continue their efforts and allow for more frequent visits, the company provides financial support through Community Impact Grants.

These grants provide funds to purchase ingredients and supplies necessary to cook the meals, as well as funding necessary to help make repairs to Ronald McDonald House facilities, Ibuki said.

CACs can apply for these grants to help support colleague community outreach activities that align with Thermo Fisher’s commitment to advance health equity or STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. 

CAC volunteers in Japan, hard at work

Several Thermo Fisher volunteers expressed how much they enjoy visiting the houses and cooking for the families.

“I like the intimate nature of the support we are giving,” said Laura Cotton, a laboratory equipment representative, who leads Thermo Fisher’s CAC in New England, “It’s nice to know you are having an impact on the people in your own community.”

One volunteer, Amy Smith, a quality assurance operations supervisor and CAC lead in St. Louis, personally understands the power of a meal.

When she was 9 years old, Amy had a brain tumor, and her parents utilized the meal program at the Ronald McDonald House associated with the hospital where she was receiving treatment.

“Doing something small, even just cooking a meal for someone, has such an enormous impact,” she said. “It makes it even more rewarding for me to be able to give back.”

CAC volunteers in St. Louis, Missouri

To learn more about how Thermo Fisher works to improve health outcomes with customers for patients and across communities globally, download the company’s annual Corporate Social Responsibility report.

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