In July 2018, Rachel Hadley was 22 weeks pregnant when her organs began shutting down. On July 4, doctors at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital in Mobile performed an emergency cesarean section and delivered her twins, Scarlett and Jesse. The babies were taken straight to the neonatal intensive care unit, where they would remain for more than six months. The Hadleys’ story, and the home that sheltered them through it, sits at the heart of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile and its signature fundraiser, the Little Black Dress Runway Show Gala.
The Hardest Day, and a Place to Stay
For Rachel and her husband, Ryan, being discharged and leaving their newborns behind to return home to Fairhope was the hardest day of their lives. Then they learned they could stay at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile, just minutes from their children’s bedsides.
Families with a baby in intensive care often face a painful choice between being close to their child and keeping up with work, home and other children. For parents from the Eastern Shore, the daily commute to Mobile means crossing the I-10 Bayway over Mobile Bay, a trip that can be unpredictable at rush hour and exhausting when repeated day after day for months. A room near the hospital can make the difference between spending hours on the road and spending those hours with a critically ill child.
A Home Away From Home for Families in Crisis
RMHC of Mobile serves as a home away from home for families whose children are receiving life-saving care at an area hospital or other health care facility. The House has 38 guest rooms, and on average 30 to 35 families are staying there at any given time.
Families generally must live outside a 20-mile radius of the House, although exceptions are made, many of them for families from the Eastern Shore. A family in Daphne, for example, might live within 20 miles, but the prospect of fighting Bayway traffic to reach a child’s hospital bed can be overwhelming. Whether a child is six days or six years old, the organization’s philosophy is that children need their families close by.
Each family receives far more than a place to sleep. The House provides:
- A comfortable guest room with two queen beds and a private bath
- A hot meal every day
- A fully stocked kitchen and pantry
- Laundry facilities
- A playroom and playground for siblings
- The support of staff, volunteers and other families going through similar experiences
Perhaps most important, families stay at no cost. That means parents who are already coping with medical bills, time away from work and the emotional toll of a sick child do not have to add lodging expenses to their burden.
Diana Brewer, who joined the RMHC of Mobile staff in 2022, has written that she knew very little about the House before arriving and did not realize families stayed there free of charge. She describes the resilience of the parents, grandparents and siblings who stay there as something that amazes her every day, noting that families seem never to lose hope, even through setbacks and complications. The best moments, she wrote, come when families finally get to take their child home.
Beyond the House: Family Rooms Inside the Hospital
Approximately 700 families stay at the Ronald McDonald House of Mobile each year. Thousands more use the Ronald McDonald Family Rooms located inside USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital. Family Rooms give parents a quiet place to rest, grab a snack or take a shower without leaving the hospital, which can be vital when a child is in intensive care and parents do not want to be more than a few steps away.
USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital, part of the University of South Alabama health system, is the region’s dedicated hospital for women, infants and children and treats patients from across south Alabama, northwest Florida and south Mississippi. Many of the families who need RMHC’s support come from rural communities hours away from Mobile.
How the Charity Is Funded
Every Ronald McDonald House Charities chapter is a separate nonprofit with its own governing board of directors. RMHC of Mobile pays for its services through special events, grants and corporate and individual donations. McDonald’s, which the organization calls its forever mission partner, also supports the House through its Round-Up program, which lets customers round up their purchase totals and donate the difference to RMHC of Mobile.
The global organization marked 50 years in 2024, and Ronald McDonald House Charities now operates in 60 countries. RMHC of Mobile marked its own 25th anniversary in 2025.
The Little Black Dress Runway Show Gala
The Little Black Dress Runway Show Gala is RMHC of Mobile’s biggest fundraiser. The 2024 gala was held April 25 at Fort Whiting Auditorium in Mobile. The event is designed as an up-tempo, New York-style runway show, with about 50 models on the runway, each representing an event sponsor.
The 2024 evening featured:
- Cocktails and a lavish spread of hors d’oeuvres
- Food surprises throughout the night
- An afterparty with music by Jenna McClelland following the runway show
- The Hadley family as honored guests, sharing their time at the Ronald McDonald House and Scarlett and Jesse’s road to recovery
The Barnes Family McDonald’s served as presenting sponsor for the 2024 event. Sponsorships, tables of eight and individual tickets were offered, with individual ticket buyers seated alongside other guests.
Because every model represents a sponsor, the format ties the entertainment directly to the businesses and individuals who underwrite the House’s work. Those who want to attend or sponsor a future gala should contact RMHC of Mobile directly for upcoming dates and details.
Ways to Support Families Close to Home
There are several ways residents of Mobile and Baldwin counties can help:
- Attend or sponsor events such as the Little Black Dress Runway Show Gala.
- Round up at participating McDonald’s restaurants.
- Donate money or pantry items that help keep the kitchen stocked.
- Volunteer, whether by preparing meals for families or helping around the House.
The organization’s mission is simple: keep families close when they need it most. For the Hadleys, and for roughly 700 families every year, RMHC of Mobile has been proof that there is a place like home for as long as they need it.