Here at Fox 8, we are honored to meet incredibly inspiring men and women throughout Northeast Ohio, but one woman’s service has touched the lives of hundreds families from around the world. Meet Reporter Annette Lawless’ hometown hero.
CLEVELAND – Carole Litt is one of those people who instantly make you feel at home.
So naturally, the 69-year-old volunteers her time at Ronald McDonald house, a safe-haven for families of seriously-ill children getting medical treatment in Cleveland.
“It’s really special. I love it here,” Litt said. “In one way, anyone could say every day is a surprise because there’s always something different that happens that we haven’t experienced before,”
For the past 10 years, Litt has volunteered for the organization. She, along with 270 others, volunteered 37,000 hours in 2011.
“We could not operate Ronald McDonald house without our volunteers,” said executive director Craig Wilson. “Really, we’re a grassroots effort, very volunteer based from what Carole does at the front desk, to our family rooms to our garden volunteers.”
“The volunteers themselves are really a community and I’ve made a great many very special friends here,” Litt added. “You meet people you don’t ordinarily run across, both with volunteers and the families.”
Fox 8 Reporter Annette Lawless is quite familiar with what these families go through.
When she was 15 months old, she accidentally pulled a pot of boiling water onto herself.
“It was the most influential event of my life, but I don’t remember a moment,” Lawless said. “My dad was a paramedic and EMT at the time, and I’m told that he swept in and rushed me to the hospital. But despite his efforts, doctors weren’t sure if I would survive.”
Lawless would up with third-degree burns on about 30 percent of her body, including her legs, arms, stomach and face. She spent weeks in an intensive care unit back in her hometown near Wichita, Kan., and in the following years, she went through multiple surgeries and physical therapy.
“When I see people like Carole giving back to families, it touches my heart,” Lawless said. “That’s why Ronald McDonald house and volunteers like Carole mean so much to me. They give families strength by building a safe haven in a time they truly need it most. She is definitely my hometown hero and a hero to so many others.“
Yet, Litt brings a wealth of experience to working with these families. She spent a number of years as a pediatric psychologist. Now retired, Litt serves on the Cleveland Clinic Institutional Review Board. She hopes to continue serving the children and families in our medical community for many years to come.
“It’s a very important service,” she said. “When you think of how many people are going through these type of experiences, and how grateful they are to have a place like this to stay… it’s important. These activities have really become an important part of my life and i find it very fulfilling.”
For more information about Ronald McDonald House Cleveland, go to http://www.rmhcleveland.org/