Alaska's Story: Finding Home Through the Hardest Days

– 47 night’s at Ronald McDonald House Canberra

When Kody-Leigh and her husband Jack welcomed their third child, baby Alaska, life suddenly turned upside down.

Born at 31 weeks, tiny Alaska was immediately admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Canberra Hospital. What was meant to be a joyful time quickly became filled with fear, exhaustion, and uncertainty.

“Leaving the hospital without my baby was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,”

-Shares Kody-Leigh.

“It just felt so unnatural. I cried the whole way home.”

Living in Braidwood, NSW, more than an hour and a half from Canberra Hospital, meant endless round trips just to be near Alaska — all while caring for their two young children, Kaletti (4) and Wolfe (2). The days were long, the nights even longer, and the family was stretched to their limit.

Then, everything changed.

A hospital social worker referred Kody-Leigh to Ronald McDonald House Canberra, and just days later, she received the call:

“I walked in the House [the staff member] at the front desk smiled at me and said, ‘Perfect timing — you’re in!’ I can’t describe the relief I felt. For the first time in weeks, I could breathe again.”

The family moved into the House, where they would stay for 47 nights while Alaska grew stronger in the NICU. For Kody-Leigh, it was more than just accommodation — it was a place to heal, connect, and feel whole again.

"The House became our home away from home. We had our own room and space for the kids to play, but also a community who truly understood what we were going through. Everyone, the staff, the volunteers, the other families [they] made us feel like we belonged.”

Every week, volunteer groups brought Meals from the Heart, filling the House with warmth, laughter, and the smell of home-cooked food. Tuesdays were Kody-Leigh’s favourite days, when the volunteers would fill the kitchen with the aroma of freshly baked cookies and slices.

“I’ll never forget those small kindnesses — they meant the world when life felt so heavy. Even my husband loved the lactation cookies so much we joked he might start producing milk!”

During their stay, the family formed special friendships with families going through their own journeys. These connections have become more than treasured memories…

“We sat side-by-side in the NICU, sharing the highs and lows. Our kids became friends, and even now we still talk every week. The House didn’t just give me a place to stay, it gave me a lifelong friend.”

After 7½ weeks, Alaska was finally strong enough to come home. Leaving the House was bittersweet, joyful, but emotional too.

“It had truly become our home. We walked out as a stronger, closer family.”

Even after returning home, the Ronald McDonald House Canberra was referred to as their second home. When Alaska was readmitted a few weeks later, staff & volunteers welcomed Kody-Leigh, Jack, Kaletti and Wolfe back with open arms, offering a warm meal, a quiet space, and a reminder that they are supported and cared for.

“The generosity, the kindness, the care it’s second to none. Ronald McDonald House didn’t just give us accommodation; it gave us hope, peace, and time together as a family.

The House truly saved my family, and my mental health. Without it, I would have missed so much precious time with my children. We’ll always carry those memories, and the people who helped us, in our hearts.”

Today, Kody-Leigh and her family often return to the House to bake treats and give back grateful to the staff, volunteers, and donors who made their journey a little easier.