The Palmatier Family

Tabitha Palmatier, of Auburn, New York, was going into labor a week earlier than her due date. She had experienced a relatively healthy pregnancy and her son Carson James was born on March 20, 2018. Ten hours later Tabitha would learn her son had been diagnosed with Down syndrome. After two long days of waiting for an official diagnosis, Tabitha was discharged from Crouse Hospital while Carson was admitted into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Coming to terms with having a life-changing diagnosis and having to leave her newborn baby boy in the hospital, Tabitha was overcome with emotion and was simply exhausted. She was comforted when she learned her three other children waiting for her at home would able to join her at the House.

For three weeks Tabitha, her husband Bryan and their family would make their home at the CNY Ronald McDonald House. Before checking into the House, Tabitha was simply grateful to have a place to lay her head at night just around the corner of the bedside of her son. When she was greeted at the House her first impression of the House was “wow, this is awesome.”

Tabitha and her children were able to live together on weekends as a family. They enjoyed the playroom, and family dinners with fun games of UNO. Tabitha was grateful that the CNY Ronald McDonald House for the simple things we take for granted; always having a hot cup of coffee and food to eat all of which helped make her life easier during a difficult time in her family’s life.

“You don’t have to worry about anything while you are here.”

If it was not for the CNY Ronald McDonald House, she said she could not have gotten through those three weeks while her son was hospitalized.

“It was a lifesaver.”