06 Jul The Terra Family

During her pregnancy, Carrie learned that her son had a congenital heart defect and would need surgery right away. When Liam was born, Carrie and her husband, David, stayed at the Ronald McDonald House Within the Hospital, just a minute-long elevator ride to his bedside in the NICU at Golisano Children’s Hospital. Liam passed away after eleven days, but his legacy lives on.

“Ronald McDonald House is our family. We only had 11 days with Liam, and they are a big part of his story… I am always going to want to talk about that little boy. His days were short, but he put a lot of things in perspective for us. All the noise of the world — it’s just noise. What really matters is love and treating each other kindly, and living each day to the fullest.”

Carrie started volunteering for Ronald McDonald House after her family’s experience there and for a period of time worked as a part-time employee, bringing comfort and care to other families.

“When your child isn’t there, you need to find things to do to continue to mother them… Volunteering here was a way to keep that connection with him. This Ronald McDonald House family will always be with you. Even for some of us who have said goodbye to our children, it still represents the love we have received.”