As Ashley and Justin Watson pulled out of the driveway of their Campbellsville home on December 2, 2016, they headed to Louisville for a routine check-up, dinner, and some last-minute Christmas shopping. They expected a quick trip and a stress-free night, never guessing that they wouldn’t return home for over 120 days.
After a small pregnancy scare over Thanksgiving break, Ashley’s doctor recommended a small checkup with her provider in Louisville. However, during this appointment, Ashley’s blood pressure was so high that she was sent to Labor and Delivery Triage for bloodwork instead of the dinner the couple had planned.
While they waited, Justin and Ashley continued to finalize their evening plans, remaining lighthearted despite the delay. That changed when four doctors and several staff members filed into their tiny triage room.
As the door closed, Ashley noticed the heavy seriousness on their faces. It was in that silence, as her throat closed up and she saw the fear in Justin’s eyes, that Ashley realized they were about to receive news that would change everything.
At only 23 weeks and 5 days pregnant, Ashley was diagnosed with a rare case of early-onset severe pre-eclampsia, a disease where the only cure is delivery.
Over the next few days, the situation turned critical; as her organs began to fail and her vision blurred, the only thing she could think about was the health of her son. Amidst the chaos of emergency prep, Ashley was very aware that this procedure could be life-threatening for both her and her son.
Before her emergency surgery, Ashley and Justin agreed on the name Jon Luke for their son, hoping to give him a name that carried enough strength for the journey they knew he would have to face.
On December 6, 2016, Jon Luke Watson was born, weighing just 1 pound and 7.5 ounces. As the days passed and both Ashely and her son healed from the delivery, a new fear set in, leaving them wondering: How could they possibly leave Jon Luke behind and return to Campbellsville?
“As a dad with a new son, and a wife who couldn’t walk at the time, wondering what we were going to be able to stay close to our son, I had no idea what we were going to do. Until the nurse walked in and said, ‘Have you guys heard about the Ronald McDonald House?’” said Justin Watson.
After leaving their son for the first time in weeks, Ashley and Justin walked through the welcoming doors of the Ronald McDonald House. Decorated with Christmas lights and filled with high-spirited staff, the House immediately gave them something they hadn’t had in days: a space to breathe.
That sense of peace stayed with them through Christmas Day. While Jon Luke was down the street fighting an aggressive blood infection in the NICU, the Ronald McDonald House allowed the Watsons to be close by.
In place of their regular Christmas festivities, Ashley and Justin’s family made the trip to Louisville, bringing the Christmas spirit to them. They all gathered in the third-floor lobby, a space that allowed them to sit, celebrate, and spend time together for the first time in weeks. The room was filled with the warm scent of volunteers baking cookies in the room over, a scent specifically comforting for Ashley.
During their family gift exchange, Justin’s sister passed out gifts to each family member. This exchange held a meaning that Ashley found to be more powerful than words. As they all opened their boxes at the same time, they revealed matching shirts with the phrase “Fight Like a Preemie.” Turning hers over to see the word “Mommy” printed on the back, the ground that had felt so shaky for weeks finally began to feel firm.
Reflecting on the impact of that support, Ashley shared: “In those moments, I felt so much support that it felt like there were physical people propping me up. And that’s what Ronald McDonald House does. They propped us up when we couldn’t sit up.”
The Watsons would spend a total of 125 days at the Ronald McDonald House before Jon Luke was finally healthy enough to go home. Starting their journey with little knowledge of the House, the family became immersed in a community that provided far more than just a place to stay.
They found a support system that carried them through the hardest months of their lives, allowing them to focus entirely on their son’s recovery until they could finally leave as a family.
Since that first stay, the Watson family has returned to the Ronald McDonald House many times, the House becoming a safe haven for young Jon Luke. Now a thriving kid with a passion for sports, he still looks forward to their visits, affectionately calling it the “guest house.” For the Watsons, every day with Jon Luke feels like a blessing, and they credit Ronald McDonald House for giving them the strength to get there.
For Ashley, the gratitude goes deeper than a simple thank you. “I really don’t know if there is a word to express what it means to have had this place during that time,” she shares. “I can’t imagine it ever not being here for the families that need it.”
