21 Jun A Heartwarming Reunion

In 1975, then 4-year-old Dan McCurdy and his family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House, only a year after it had opened. While he received cancer treatment, the House became a lifeline for the McCurdys, offering comfort and support, so that they would not have to drive back and forth from their home in New Jersey. “It just made life a lot easier,” says Dan. “It made you feel like you’re at home instead of being sick.”

Dan McCurdy recently visited our Chestnut Street House and reconnected with the nurse who cared for him as a child, Wendy Hobbie. Wendy also worked closely with his doctor, Dr. Audrey Evans, the co-founder and visionary behind the Ronald McDonald House. Throughout his treatment, he experienced firsthand her compassion and desire to provide comfort and hope.

“She was a smiling face every time you saw her,” says Dan. “It just made you feel at ease all the time. And she even had a bird cage at the hospital that she brought in. That was amazing. You know, something to take your mind off things. She truly was an integral part in saving my life and allowing me to have a normal life this long.” Looking back 50 years later at the support of the House he says, “Hope is real. When you’re tired of fighting, let
somebody else fight for you.”