Arizona Tax Credits: Ronald McDonald House

Address: 2155 E. Allen Road, Tucson, 85719.

Phone: 520-326-0060.

Website: rmhctucson.org

The birth of a baby is filled with joy, but for Diane and Matt Westfall, the birth of their daughter, Madison, also was fraught with fear.

Maddie was born a month early, weighing less than 4 pounds with a rare genetic disorder. She struggled with heart and lung problems and was a patient in a neonatal intensive care unit for four months and four days. Donors who made a gift to the Ronald McDonald House, using Arizona’s charitable tax credit, made a major impact on this young family.

Diane and Matt lived in Sierra Vista and didn’t want to be that far away from their baby or to make the drive every day. So, a few days after Maddie was born, they moved into the Ronald McDonald House for what became a six-month stay.

“When we stepped through the door, I was immediately overwhelmed by the atmosphere of love and thoughtfulness. On the surface, the house was filled with toys and decorations for the kids and homey comfortable furniture for the families, but deeper down we could tell that every inch of the place was constructed out of pure love,” the Westfalls said.

The Ronald McDonald House became their “home-away-from-home.” They suffered along with their baby as she endured intubation and heart surgery. They were glad to have friends at the house and to meet others in similar situations.

In all, the Westfalls stayed for 183 nights. Families pay nothing to stay at the house, but it costs the organization approximately $100 for each family each day. More than 70 percent of the Ronald McDonald House Charities’ budget comes from individual donations, and those gifts are the reason the house can remain free to families like the Westfalls.

Tax-credit donors can make a gift and receive every penny back as a dollar-for-dollar credit on their state tax return. So, every donor who makes an $800 tax-credit donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities will cover eight nights for families in desperate need of these services. Every tax-credit donation allows families like the Westfalls to focus on their child and not worry about paying for a place to stay .

“For us the Ronald McDonald House wasn’t just a place to stay ... it was a place to heal and gather the strength that we needed to support our daughter. ... The Ronald McDonald House was our sanctuary.”