The Swist Family

On Super Bowl Sunday 2005, Jennifer and Peter Swist had planned a quiet party at their Swansea, Mass. home with a few friends. Jennifer was expecting with twins, but her due date wasn’t until late May. So when she began to experience stomach pains, Jennifer thought it might be food poisoning. Instead, she was in labor.

Jennifer gave birth to twin girls at just 24 weeks, Abigail Hope (1 pound, 5 ounces) and Katherine Grace (1 pound, 7 ounces), were good-sized considering how prematurely they were born and doctors were hopeful. But tragically, Abigail Hope passed away three days later. Devastated by the loss of one daughter, they never wavered in their belief that Katherine Grace would survive. The tiny infant proved to be a fighter as she survived heart value surgery and two serious infections.

On June 10, 2005 -- four months after -- Peter and Jennifer had first arrived at the Ronald McDonald House, staff and volunteers gathered for a celebration. Katherine Grace was well enough to go home. For all those months, the House had been home for parents who were grateful for a place to stay that kept them close to their daughter as she fought for her life. They were grateful for a House staff that always seemed to know when they needed support, and when they needed some space and privacy in the midst of their crisis.