Beel Family - Tapanui
When David and Sara welcomed their second child, Ezekiel, into the world back in 2019, it wasn’t quite the beginning they had imagined. Born at just 31 weeks due to Sara developing severe preeclampsia, tiny Ezekiel spent his first weeks of life in hospital - and the family’s first experience with Ronald McDonald House began.
Two years later, the same frightening condition struck again during Sara’s next pregnancy. Their son Maverick arrived at 30 weeks, and once more, the House became their refuge - a place that allowed them to stay close, rest, and find strength in the middle of uncertainty. 
This year, the couple faced their toughest journey yet. After almost ten weeks in Dunedin, their baby Niamyah was born 14 weeks early at just 26 weeks’ gestation, weighing a fragile 710 grams. She needed to be transferred to Invercargill’s NICU, where the family would complete her long and emotional hospital journey.
Due to her extreme prematurity, Niamyah faced countless challenges. She needed invasive respiratory support, from a ventilator to CPAP and then oxygen therapy, which she still relies on today. There were regular blood transfusions, antibiotics, countless tests and scans - but through it all, she showed incredible strength. Against all odds, the baby they once couldn’t even touch is now thriving, weighing a healthy 2.5 kilograms.
For Sara, one of the greatest comforts during those long weeks was being able to stay just next door to her baby girl at Ronald McDonald House. After sleeping in a hospital bed for nearly ten weeks, she describes the relief of a real bed as “amazing.” The House also gave her family space to be together again - a place where her two energetic boys could visit on weekends, play in the lounge, and feel like kids again, even while their baby sister fought to grow stronger.
Talking with other parents at the House also brought Sara hope and connection. “It was a great environment to encourage each other,” she says. “Sometimes you just needed someone to listen when your baby took a step back or you got bad news.”
Looking back, the family can’t imagine having gone through this experience without RMHC NZ. “This time around we stayed in the Mercury Energy Room, and from my family - thank you so much for allowing us to be close to our baby when she needed us most. Our family will forever be grateful for your kindness and generosity.”
Between hospital visits, caring for their boys, and long NICU days, the family still finds joy in the little things - growing vegetables in their garden, making music together, and heading outdoors whenever they can. For David, that often means hunting and fishing with the boys; for Sara, it’s bike rides and moments of music with her kids - now including one very precious little girl who’s proven to be stronger than anyone could have imagined.