Eighteen-year-old Mitchell Alvarez and his family were traveling to Phoenix for a momentous occasion: his United States citizenship oath. This trip, however, was unexpectedly diverted when a pain in his leg became unbearable.

The night before Mitchell had some discomfort in his leg, but as an avid soccer player he chalked it up to playing a bit too hard on the field. Now, he and his family had made only a fraction of the 170 mile trip from their San Luis home before it hurt too much to go on. They pulled into a Yuma hospital and the doctors there sent him to Phoenix Children's Hospital (PCH) via ambulance.


Doctors at PCH diagnosed Mitchell with a rare form of cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma. His parents, Miguel and Martha, were shocked by the diagnosis and that their son would have to face multiple rounds of chemotherapy. They weren’t sure where they would stay during this time—they lived so far away. A hospital social worker referred them to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Phoenix (RMHC), which operates a house right on the PCH campus.

Mitchell considers RMHC a blessing because his family can be nearby when he is in the hospital for treatment. “We are grateful for the attentive staff and the people who supply the meals.”  His mother adds, “Even though it’s not our home, if feels like home.”

As Mitchell started chemotherapy he was disappointed that his citizenship would have to be postponed. That is until immigration was contacted to see if he and his two younger brothers, Aaron and Zadig, could somehow still take the oath. On April 17, 2009 the Alvarez boys became U.S. citizens with Sandra Day O'Connor, retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice from Arizona, administering the oath at the hospital.

Miguel and Martha are very proud of their sons and are encouraged by Mitchell’s strength to overcome cancer. Likewise, thanks to our donors and supporters, RMHC can take great pride in being able to help families like the Alvarez’s by providing a welcoming “home-away-from-home” when they need it most.