mention of the Ronald McDonald House, particularly the RMD house located in Iowa City, Iowa, home of Dr. Ignacio Ponseti, who is of course, the master inventor of that little thing we call the Ponseti Method of Clubfoot Treatment. Over the course of the past seven years, I have logged a lot of weeks at the Iowa City Ronald McDonald House - approximately fifteen but honestly I lost count - going originally to take Brian to see Dr. Ponseti in the year 2000, then later to take Everett in 2003, and later again in 2006, baby Garrison took his turn at this amazing facility. Probably a lot like you, the first time I was scheduled to go stay at the Ronald McDonald House, I had no idea what to expect....well, thanks to six-feet.com, now you don't have to guess quite so much! What are the rooms like? The rooms of the Ronald McDonald House in Iowa City are very clean and comfortable, much like a nice motel with a private bathroom, desk, chairs, beds, closets and a telephone with it's own private phone number so family and friends can reach you directly. You are given a key to enter both the main front door of the House, and your room. You won't find a television in your room, however. Because parents who stay at the RMD House are there for one reason only (their child is sick or injured), it is wisely recommended that parents do not stay "holed up in their rooms alone" becoming depressed. Three large public television "living rooms" are built in to the house with comfortable furniture where you can kick back and enjoy both the movie and the companionship of other parents like yourself. (You will also find a recreation-room down stairs with exercise equipment and other fun things.) Some rooms are called Suits. The suits are larger, therefore their rent is slightly higher. Suits were built to accommodate large family groups. They include a kitchenette, a private bedroom, bath, dining area, living area, television, and telephone. In either room, it is totally acceptable to bring along your non-clubfoot-treatment children / siblings to stay with you at the Ronald McDonald House, in fact, I would recommend you do bring all your children if you are going to stay longer than a night. What do we need to bring? The short answer is bring what makes you comfortable. The extended version is that the RMD provides almost everything you could possibly need, including laundry facilities complete with soap you can use free of charge. There is also a vast array of donated items available, such as a "Pack N Play" playpen style crib for an infant to sleep in; car seats, strollers, bouncy seats, high chairs, baby swings and more. If there is a particular item you really want to have with you during your stay, call ahead and ask them about it. Keep in mind it's a first-come first-serve with using these items so another parent may already have temporary possession of it. On the other hand if you arrive and think of something that would be handy, simply ask the manager, it may be down in the basement just waiting for you! You will also find there are other items available should you need them such as bath soap, shampoo, tooth paste...the RMD will provide you the toilet paper for your bathroom as well as the cleaning supplies you will need to keep your room tidy. Where do we eat? What do we eat? The Ronald McDonald House has a large multi-family kitchen with several different stoves, refrigerators, a food pantry stocked with donated groceries, dishes, dish washers, sinks, soaps, towels, pot holders and anything else you might need. Guests of the RMD are assigned a kitchen area for their own personal use. Guests can eat freely from the donated food supply, or purchase their own grocery items to bring to the House. Any food items a guest buys and brings to the house will be labeled with your room number and name, so other guests do not use what you have paid for. Likewise, you do not consume grocery items marked with another guest's name and room number. You are welcome to cook and eat any time you want, 24 hours a day. However, you are also expected to clean up after yourself completely when you are finished. For guests there on extended stays, a chore-chart is kept by the front door. Guests are assigned small daily chores, such as sweeping a certain hall way. This helps maintain the home while also giving guests a sense of contribution and accomplishment while they stay. The RMD also has a large dining room shared by all the guests with nice tables and chairs, including high chairs for children. Tables are located outside on a deck, as well. Often, a volunteer group from the city comes in and cooks an evening meal for guests to eat; these upcoming meals will be posted on the front door and kitchen door inside the RMD House so you can plan (or not plan) to be present for dinner that night. Volunteers abound at the Ronald McDonald House. People both young and old give their time to the needs of those staying at the House, providing house keeping, transportation, cooking, and companionship. What do we do there? There is actually a lot to do at the Ronald McDonald House, which is good because the parents of children born with clubfeet who travel to Iowa for their Ponseti Treatment will find themselves with a lot of time on their hands in between their weekly serial casting appointments. Iowa City is a major university town, although it is a small town. The university influence on the town leads to a lot of cultural diversity, events, activities, shops, malls, museums, parks and more. Inside the Ronald McDonald House is a movie library where you can watch movies, a book library, several computers you can share and use with other guests, two TV areas, an outdoor play ground, and indoor play-toy room, a sun room, an outdoor lounge area and more. Inside the clean spacious House you will be very comfortable and relaxed. The only real rule is that you be kind, respectful and considerate to other families, observing the quiet hours and cleaning up your own messes. Other Things To Do: There is a lot to do away from the RMD House, also. Provided by the University, there is a free transportation system called the Cambus (as in Campus- Bus). Cambusses run on a tight schedule to preselected destinations, stopping often. A bus stop is located directly across the street from the RMD House, and also down the street one block on the same side of the road. The bus is so easy to use and children just love going for the ride! This bus can easily and quickly deliver you to your Ponseti appointments, usually quicker and easier than driving yourself (traffic and parking in Iowa City is tight!), and easier than waiting for a RMD House shuttle van to take you and pick you up. The Cambus runs on a 15 minute rotation, so you never have a long wait to catch the bus you need to and from your appointments, or to other places. Attractions in Iowa City: There is a lot to do in Iowa City, even as a guest in the Ronald McDonald House. Between your weekly visits to the Ponseti Clinic, you may catch the Cambus and ride to down town Iowa City. Take the bus marked "Pentacrest" both to the down town, and back to the RMD House when you decide to return to your room. A ride on the Pentacrest Cambus will take you to the following attractions for free: University of Iowa Museum of Natural History: Admission FREE. No trip to Iowa City is complete until you have visited this museum ... or more specifically, the Giant Sloth who is housed in this museum. A wonderful place for families and children, this museum follows the natural history of Iowa back millions of years with fossils, artifacts, animals and more. Located in one of the Universities buildings on a block down town known as the Pentacrest, the museum is handicap accessible, with displays in major rooms, hall ways and a massive bird collection well worth the trip on the upper floor. Old Capitol Museum: Located next door to the Museum of Natural History. Both of these museums are a part of the Old Capitol Cultural District of down town Iowa City. This is mainly a pedestrian mall - a shopping district where cars are prohibited and streets become side walks. This is a wonderful place to enjoy with your children as street musicians often play live music there; also, a very nice play ground is located here along with lots of shops, food and specialty stores. In this same area, just across from the museums on the Pentacrest, is an indoor shopping mall where you can most anything you might need while you stay in Iowa City's RMD House - from gifts to shoes, clothing, shampoo and film developing. Pack a small lunch and plan to eat on one of the many shady park benches located along the Ped Mall. It's a very enjoyable outdoor retreat for you and your children. University of Iowa Museum of Art: A great place to enlighten both yourself and your children, I believe the Cambus goes there; ask a friendly bus driver which bus would be required. The Coral Ridge Mall: One of the biggest malls you'll find, this place is great to spend an afternoon in. Complete with an ice arena and a Children's Museum. Other Near By Attractions: Follow this link to learn more about things to do and see in and around Iowa City Iowa as you stay there for your child's Ponseti Method Clubfoot Treatment. . |
The
Ronald McDonald House
of Iowa City Iowa - and
beyond...where to stay & what to do there.
Ronald McDonald House
of Iowa City Iowa - and
beyond...where to stay & what to do there.
| Free bus transportation in Iowa City. This link also provides information on other public transit systems in Iowa City |
| Iowa City Ronald McDonald House on The Web. |
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