Ronald McDonald  

Family Room

Top 10 Wish List

 1. Gift cards (Walmart, Sam's,      Harp's, Target)  

2.    2 liter bottles of soda   

3.    Travel size shampoo and soap

4.    Liquid laundry detergent

5.    Board games (adult & kids)

6.    Crafting & scrap booking material

7.    Quick cook lunch items 

8.    Frozen dinner meals

9.    Cleaning supplies (Pledge, Windex, Lysol spray, dish soap)

10.  Family passes for local activities 

Share-A-Meal   

The Ronald McDonald Family Room hosts dinner every night solely through the support of the community. If your church group, business, family or civic organization would like to provide a meal for our families please email

Ginger Thompson   

Naturals vs. Sprigfield Cardinals

     RMHC of Arkoma Team 

Executive Director

Stephanie Medford  

stephanie@rmhcofarkoma.org 

479-756-5600

Office Manager

Jennifer Myer

Jennifer@rmhcofarkoma.org

479-756-5600

Ronald McDonald

Family Room Manager

Ginger Thompson ginger@rmhcofarkoma.org 

479-650-1560

Ronald McDonald

Care Mobile Manager

Sarah Murders    

murderssa@archildrens.org  

479-295-0755

Ronald McDonald  

Family Room

Program Associates

479-314-8030

Amanda Nuse

Audra Poeggel

Kim Chansamone 

Jenah Shipman

Shannon Taylor 

RMHC of Arkoma Board of Directors and Advisory Council Members 

Board of Directors  

Bill Mathews, President  

Barbara Rook, Vice President

Christine Williams, Secretary

Walter Mathews, Treasurer

Devin Cole, RMCM Chair

Michael Hadley, RMFR Chair

Dick Trammel

Lindsey Gibson

Jim Hadley

Charlie Brown

Jack Galassini

Jim Crouch

Scott Gordon

John Hadley

Philip Merry

Ronald McDonald  

Care Mobile  

Advisory Council

Devin Cole, Chair 

Dwight Duckworth, DDS 

Brandi Roach, DDS

Daniel Barnes

Herman Hurd

Barbara Ludwig  

Edie Arey

Mark Winslow

Charlie Brown 

Ronald McDonald

Family Room    

Advisory Council

Michael Hadley, Chair

Philip Merry

Brent Alexander

Michelle Hadley

Cindy Bagby  

Linda Dickinson

Laura Keep     

Thank you to all of our generous volunteers!

Meet the Schluterman's 

Born on March 16, 2011, Benjamin Christopher Schluterman was born at 35 weeks to Chris & Kelly Schluterman.  The pregnancy had been difficult so Kelly was pleased to have carried Ben even that long.  He weighed 5 pounds and 8 ounces leading the Schulerman's to believe Ben's stay in the NICU would be short and without major complications.  However, the first set back started immediately as Ben had trouble breathing on his own and had turned very pale.  A breathing tube was inserted and mom and dad were not able to even hold their new, precious baby boy. 

In her own words:  

"The next day we were told that Ben had to be sedated to prevent him from fighting the ventilator.  The doctor told us they may have to paralyze him completely because he was fighting so hard and in distress.  Crying, we sat by the incubator, held Ben's little hand and just talked to him.  We told him about his big sister, Claire, how excited she was to meet him and how blessed we were to have him in our lives.  A few hours later we were told Ben was no longer fighting the ventilator and he would not have to be further sedated- he had calmed down shortly after our visit. 

The next week was a blur of tests, milestones and post-partum pain.  I couldn't even stand the thought of leaving the hospital without Ben and as I was starting to breast feed, it was not very practical.  Thankfully, my OBGYN suggested we stay at the Ronald McDonald Family Room.  On day three after I was discharged, we moved there and had our own room, a bathroom and a fully-stocked kitchen with meals provided.  It was a dream come true for exhausted, worried parents.

Chris and I feel so blessed to have had the Ronald McDonald Family Room to stay in during Ben's NICU stay.  We didn't have to worry about a thing.  Wonderful snacks and meals were provided, the room was clean, we had a place to nap and receive visitors- and we were only one elevator ride away from Ben.  For new parents with plenty to worry about- this was a God send.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!"  - Kelly Schluterman

Eight days after a traumatic, exhausting week, Chris, Kelly, and Claire took baby Ben home.  Ben is now a happy, healthy three month old baby weighing 9 pounds, 4 ounces.  He loves his family, especially his big sister, Claire.     

Volunteer Spotlight

Evan's Project  

Recently, we have had the honor of working with an amazing group of photographers to help provide memories for the families we serve.  Read on to see how Evan's Project got started and has made a huge impact on the lives of many.

"Evan's Project started as a way to honor the memory of Evan Andrew Bumgarner who was born March 10, 2009 and lived for six short days.  Evan's parents, Monica and Sean, are good friends of mine (Stephanie Freeman who founded the group).   I was so moved by Monica's incredible faith and the grace she showed as she grieved her overwhelming loss.  I wanted to do something to let them both know that Evan would not be forgotten. 

When we talked about Evan, Monica talked about the nurses taking pictures of Evan at Arkansas Children's Hospital.  She is so thankful to have those pictures.  I remembered my son in the Neonatal ICU after he was born.  His condition was not critical, but he was my baby so it was critical to me.  I didn't take any pictures during that time because I was so focused on his care.  A Polaroid picture that a nurse took is the only picture I have of his first 10 days.  That is when the idea was born to make sure other families that were going through similar situations didn't regret not having pictures of their babies, too. 

Once the idea formed in my mind, I contacted the Ronald McDonald Family Room in Fort Smith to see how to make this dream a reality.  On March 10, 2011 they called to tell me that we would be able to work something out for Evan's Project.  That day would have been Evan's second birthday.   The timing just seemed perfect.

I am an insurance agent by day and a photographer in the evenings and on weekends.  As I realized what was going to be involved in this, God showed me it was a much bigger project than I initially thought.  That is when I reached out for help.  The photographers were touched by Evan's story and immediately wanted to be involved.

Evan's Project is a group of professional photographers that provide photos of the babies in the NICU free of charge to their families.  The photos are provided on a CD with a print release allowing them to reprint whatever they need or want.  The service is provided for any parent of an infant in the NICU, no matter how short or long their stay. 

The following photographers volunteer their time and talents to Evan's Project:

Stephanie Freeman with Diamond Memories Photography, Wendy L White Photography, Casey Johnson Photography, Jessica Meinardus Photography, Shannon Walker with A Captured Moment Photography, Amber Henson Photography, Julie Amber Jones Photography and Melanie Stout with A Beautiful Life Photography currently make up Evan's Project.  We also have a waiting list for more photographers who want to volunteer as the program grows.

For now, the service is being utilized for special occasions.  It is our hope that very soon Evan's Project will be operating on a weekly basis to minister to more families in their time of need.  My goal for Evan's Project is to be able to expand it to other hospitals in our area as well as in other areas.   I have been approached by photographers wanting to start an Evan's Project in Northwest Arkansas as well as in other states including Missouri, Oklahoma and even Minnesota. 

Evan was a tiny blessing that was with us for only a short time, but the miracle of his life continues to impact others through Evan's Project.  I can't think of a better way to honor his memory." -Stephanie Freeman, Founder

"I feel so fortunate to be a part of Evan's Project. There is nothing as innocent and pure as a new baby. To think that some parents don't get to take their babies home right away breaks my heart, to think that some babies are sick is even worse. I just hope that we can capture memories of these first special days and weeks for these families. Hopefully our photos are gifts that bring a little happiness into a difficult time and remind us all of how precious life is." -Wendy White