Early in the morning, Lilly came into her parents’ room with a barking cough. It was a clear sign of croup, and this was the third time for Lilly. At 6 AM, their family arrived at the hospital, where Lilly was brought in immediately. Having gone through the steps before, parents Justin and Alexis expected the hospital stay to be brief. Justin left the hospital to go to work, expecting Lilly to be discharged within the hour. Around noon, however, he was called back.

When he arrived, it was clear that this time was different. “Lilly turned to me completely blue in the face and could not breathe. Her big blue eyes saying, ‘Dad… HELP!’” Justin recalled. The medical team at CHOC quickly stepped into action to help Lilly, transporting her to the PICU.

For the next four days, Justin and Alexis stayed by Lilly’s bedside while she slept and recovered. “The only breaks we took from her bedside were quick trips down to the Ronald McDonald Family Room for coffee and snacks.” The worry for Lilly’s condition consumed their every waking thought, but having a place to recuperate so close to Lilly’s hospital room made all the difference. ” [It] became our only place we could get away that still felt close. It was our home away from home, even though it was only for a few minutes at a time.”