22 Oct ‘So Much Love’

At just three days old, Lucas Paul had his first heart surgery and all went well. At seven months old, he had his second heart surgery. But this time, Lucas went into cardiac arrest requiring the support of ECMO provided through C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. His parents Christian and Andrea Paul went numb over their baby boy’s horrific medical situation. To add to their stress, they were trying to care for their other two-year-old son, commuting over an hour from their home.

It was then when their social worker suggested they stay at RMHC. Andrea remembers, “We thought maybe that would help us stay close to both of our boys.” She had no idea they would need RMHC for almost four months.  Being able to come and go as they like made it feel like their home. Their toddler was able to get much-needed naps and have down time in the playroom. It made all the difference for them to not have to continually pack up their things to head home.

“It was everything. Grabbing coffee so we could be with Lucas within minutes; having dinners so we didn’t have to make another decision or incur more cost; and having a scene different than the hospital where we could get rest. To top it off, we were there at the holidays and RMHC went over the top with the holiday shop to choose gifts for our boys and a special gift bag we got for my husband and me. It was just so much love,” Andrea said.