Turning Gratitude Into Purpose 
Giving Back to Ronald McDonald House

September 10, 2026

For Ellie Koerner (DO '29), Philadelphia has been the backdrop to some of the most defining chapters of her life. Diagnosed with leukemia at age four, Koerner and her family experienced firsthand the care and support provided by the city's medical community and Ronald McDonald House. More than a decade later, she is giving back to families facing childhood illness while pursuing her own career in medicine as a student in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) program at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM).

As Philadelphia marks the nation's 250th anniversary, the city is celebrating the people, places and innovations that have shaped its history through 52 Weeks of Firsts. On Saturday, September 26, 2026, the celebration will spotlight Ronald McDonald House, which first opened in Philadelphia in 1974 to provide a home away from home, including free lodging and support services, for families of seriously ill children receiving medical care.

Koerner’s perspective on medicine and service has been shaped by experiences on both sides of care—first as a patient and now as a future physician.

You were diagnosed with cancer at four years old and received treatment at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). What role did Ronald McDonald House play for you and your family during that time?

EK: When I was diagnosed, Ronald McDonald House was essentially the first line of support for my family. My parents stayed with me in the hospital, and Ronald McDonald House provided everything from meals to social workers and other services that helped us through that time.

I remember the play area where I could feel like a kid and play with other patients. I was admitted three days before Christmas, and when I woke up Christmas morning, I had presents waiting for me. That gave me a sense of normalcy, and I think that really speaks to what Ronald McDonald House does—helping kids still feel like kids while supporting their parents through everything they're going through.

Now that you're older, how has your understanding of the support Ronald McDonald House provides changed?

EK: I didn't understand when I was young how much a childhood cancer diagnosis affects the whole family. My mom is a pharmacist, and she quit her full-time job to take care of me. At four years old, I just thought, “Of course my parents are going to be here.” We were fortunate that my dad was able to support us, but now I think about families traveling across the country to Philadelphia for their child's treatment and the financial burden that can come with that. Ronald McDonald House gives them a place that feels like home and takes away some of those everyday worries.

That support had such an impact on my family that my parents wanted to give back and help other families going through similar experiences. In 2008, when I was still very young, they started the Ellie Koerner Leukemia Foundation in my name.

What inspired your family to start your foundation, and how has its work grown over the years?

EK: It really came from the overwhelming support my family received. People really rallied around us, and my parents wanted to pay that forward to families who might not have the same resources or support system.

For years, we donated monthly meals, holiday meals and read books to kids on the oncology floor at CHOP. Throughout the year, we provide Mother's Day baskets and essential items like wheelchairs, iPads and Wawa gift cards for gas. Now our biggest event is our holiday toy drive. We collect enough toys to fill about four huge dump trucks and donate them to Ronald McDonald House, where parents can choose unwrapped gifts for their children. That's especially meaningful to me because, as a four-year-old, I expected Santa to come even though I was in the hospital, and now it's really special to give another child that same feeling.

What does it mean to you now to meet families going through experiences similar to what your family went through?

EK: As a survivor, I think I can offer something different. Families see someone who had cancer as a child, is healthy and is now becoming a doctor, and I think that gives them hope.

We still get holiday cards from families we've met over the years, and those connections stay with us. My parents connect with the parents in a way I can't. I know what it was like to be the child with cancer; they know what it was like to be the parents, and those conversations can be really emotional for them.

When we make meals at Ronald McDonald House, my friends and I might be in the kitchen goofing around while my parents talk with the other parents. When families learn I'm a childhood cancer survivor and see me enjoying my life, they can see that there can be so much life after a cancer diagnosis.

You've said this work is “your why.” How has your experience as a childhood cancer patient and advocate shaped the kind of physician you hope to become?

EK: The doctors at CHOP were angels, and the nurses treated me like family. I still remember how comfortable and reassured they made me feel while still being honest. They listened to me and my parents and knew me beyond my diagnosis—my family, my dogs, everything.

That whole-person approach has stayed with me. I don't want to just know what's medically wrong with someone; I want to know who they are. That's why I'll always make time for this work. I have a sticker on my computer that says, “Remember your why.” Having cancer affected me at that point in my life, and it also made me who I am today. I know I'm going to be a better doctor because of it.

Looking ahead, how do you hope to continue supporting Ronald McDonald House and families facing childhood cancer as your medical career progresses?

EK: After medical school, I hope to become even more involved with Ronald McDonald House and give more of my time. I don't necessarily want to go back only as a physician. I want to be there as a friend, as someone who can listen and have meaningful conversations with families.

My experiences at PCOM have allowed me to better understand Philadelphia's communities and their needs while pursuing medicine in the same city that supported me as a child. I know how much it meant to my family to have people who understood what we were going through and chose to be there for us. No matter where my career takes me, giving back to families facing childhood cancer will always be part of my life.

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