The quartet is among 416 volunteers at Ronald McDonald Houston, which in 2021 served more than 1,600 families of children with critical illnesses. Hospital social workers, nurses or physicians refer families to one of four locations in the Texas Medical Center, where they receive free bedrooms, meals, showers and a chance to briefly escape the strain of lifesaving treatment.
Before the pandemic, a 3-year-old boy, who staff described as seriously ill and educationally delayed, asked to sit on Esse’s lap while she chatted with his mother. He reached his arm around Esse’s shoulder, kissed her cheek and asked if she was married.The boy is now 7 and calls her “Gammy” — the name Esse prefers the kids to use. It’s what her own grandchildren call her.
Those opportunities mostly disappeared in the early days of the pandemic, when volunteers were asked to stay home and Holcombe House limited new admissions. At one point, the house was down to serving 10 families because of capacity limitations, said Lisa Estes, chief advancement officer for Ronald McDonald Houston.