E1: Mrs. Nevada America Gives Back to the Community that Helped Her Family

Motherhood in the Latter Days

When Adam and Stephanie Barrett's son was once again life-flighted to Children's Hospital, the family relied on the Ronald McDonald House to be close to their son while providing stability for their other children. Now, years later and after a clean bill of health for her youngest, Mrs. Nevada America 2017 is using her title to give back to those who once helped her family in their time of need.
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Bio:
Growing up, my life revolved around basketball and took me to places I never thought possible. I played Division I basketball for Arizona State University before my career ended due to numerous foot injuries. It was a difficult decision to close a chapter that had been a huge part of my life for so long, but with it came new adventures and aspirations. I transferred to Brigham Young University to finish my schooling at a top 5 business program in the country and graduated with a B.S. in Business Finance, a year ahead of all my peers. Upon graduation, I met the love of my life, got married, and had children. My husband had an opportunity to coach Division I Women’s Basketball and I put my work on hold to be a stay-at-home mom.

In addition to my duties with my own children, I became a “mother” away from home for the players my husband coached; we opened up our home to them for regular team dinners, fun activities, birthday celebrations, holidays, make-up tutorials, etc... We built incredible relationships with those young women that will last a lifetime.

While living in a small town in Pennsylvania in 2014, my husband was coaching at Saint Francis University. Just before Christmas, we started to notice our youngest son, who was three-and-a-half-months old at the time, retract when he would breathe. To make a long story short, we ended up at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, two hours from our home with our son on oxygen and monitors around the clock. He went through every test you could think of, including a lung biopsy at four-and-a-half-months old. All tests were inconclusive but for some perspective of the severity, local hospitals and ER’s wouldn’t even admit us. Upon seeing our son’s rapid breathing, wheezing, and retracting, we immediately would be life-flighted to Children’s hospital, where we spent a good part of the next six months. Our other two children would stay at the Ronald McDonald house with family who would fly in to help us. We are so grateful for all the doctors, nurses, staff, volunteers and Ronald McDonald House for everything they did for us during that time.

My son’s final diagnosis was based on what they knew he didn’t have because they could not figure out what he did have. All treatments were experimental, including a suggestion to move somewhere with shorter winters and dry, warmer weather. Unfortunately, it was too late for my husband to find a job in his field that allowed me to continue to be a stay-at-home mom. I decided to go back to work and got a job as a Financial Analyst. As I head into work, it is still incredibly hard to leave my children, but I am grateful to have a flexible job that allows my husband to continue to follow his dreams as well.

Since moving to Las Vegas, my youngest has “grown out” of whatever he had. Even with his lingering effects, he got a vote of clean health from his pediatrician just a couple of months ago. I have visited numerous Ronald McDonald Houses throughout the country and most recently in Rome. I hope to make a difference in the lives of the children and families around the world while staying at the Ronald McDonald House, just as others once did for me.