A Journey That Started With One Muesli Bar

Some stories stay with you. Kristie’s began last year in the quiet, fluorescent glow of the John Hunter Hospital NICU, where she spent 11 weeks by her premmie son Kacey’s side.

If you’ve ever been in a NICU, you know the rule: no food allowed in the rooms. And when you’re living on hospital time – where minutes feel like hours and days blend into nights – something as small as a muesli bar can feel like fuel for the soul.

That’s where the Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms stepped in.
Tucked away inside JHH, they provide food, essentials, and a moment of normal for families who are far from home, often stretched financially, emotionally, and everything in between.

For Kristie and her family, those rooms made more difference than anyone on the outside could ever guess

Fast forward to October

With Kacey’s 12-month NICU check-up approaching, Kristie sent out a humble request to her CFP Carrington team:
Would anyone like to contribute donations to help refill those family rooms?

What happened next surprised even her.

Boxes began appearing. Bags followed. The pile grew – snacks, toiletries, comfort items – all from colleagues who simply wanted to help families walking a path they may never personally know.

As Kristie unpacked everything to repack it in RMHC’s requested format, a wave of emotion hit her.

These were not “just donations…” 

What Kristie saw was: the generosity of her team, the memory of long, supported days in the NICU, and proof that little things can lead to a whole lot of gratitude.

Brad Evans, our Country MD, summed it up perfectly in a recent note to Kristie:
“The heart of people is truly a strength…this is a great insight into what can be achieved for the greater good.”

Recently, Kristie delivered the donations back to the very place that had once supported her family – and is still supporting others, including our own colleague Sally, whose premmie daughter Eevie is still receiving NICU care.

RMHC staff were emotional, grateful, and blown away

And so are we.

This wasn’t just a collection drive.

It was a full-circle moment – a reminder that strength in numbers and trust in each other still matter, even in the noise of modern life.

To everyone who contributed: thank you – your kindness travelled further than you know.

And to Kristie – thank you for sharing your journey, your vulnerability, and your heart.

Sometimes the smallest things truly make the biggest difference.