The Ronald McDonald House in Creve Coeur has been the port in a storm for families with children needing medical care since it opened in early October. But on Monday, the facility itself was in need of a rescue, when a third floor pipe, in conjunction with the fire sprinkler system, flowed with water for 20 minutes.
Eight of the house's twenty rooms had "considerable damage", said Dan Harbaugh, president of Ronald McDonald House Charities for Metro St. Louis. He added it was too early to gauge the damage from a financial standpoint, but more important was the fact that nobody was hurt. There were 12 families staying at the house at the time of the accident which have been accommodated either by St. John's Mercy Medical Center, local hotels or other area Ronald McDonald facilities. It is currently deemed uninhabitable by the city of Creve Coeur.
Crews have literally been working around the clock since Monday. With the facility's fire sprinklers turned off to stop the flow of water, water damage restoration workers have been side-by-side with Ronald McDonald House and St. John's Mercy staff who are on a 24-hour firewatch.
Harbaugh and other staff said the news was enough to make them want to cry, but now the focus is on repairs. As many as ten families could be back in the house by Saturday, with longer-term repairs completed in three to to four weeks.
