A Circle of Love

We use the term “come full circle” and sometimes don’t stop to put it into perspective. Raymond Yunk has truly been a testament to the term. Raymond is a 15-year-old from Park Falls, Wis. His parents are Randy and Heidi Yunk. Raymond is a typical teenager with a passion for hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling.

The Accident

On February 16, 2016, Raymond was involved in a tragic snowmobile accident in which he and another snowmobile collided head-on. Raymond was taken to Flambeau Hospital in Park Falls and then flown to Ministry Saint Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Marshfield (now Marshfield Children’s Hospital) where he was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

His parents drove down from Park Falls that night and arrived at the hospital at 1 a.m.

Raymond was in the hospital for 13 days. He sustained injuries primarily to the face and underwent surgery to repair breaks to the nose, jaw, and orbital plate. Following his stay, Raymond was released on March 1.

Where Raymond’s Ronald McDonald House Story Began

The beauty of this story lies in the fact that during the 2010 school year, Chequamegon Elementary School in Park Falls launched a huge campaign to collect the most poundage of aluminum can tabs for the Ronald McDonald House in Marshfield. To make the challenge more fun, the individual grades competed against each other for the most pounds each week. Raymond took this challenge very seriously. He commissioned grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles from all over the state to save their can tabs. He even put receptacles in businesses and collected them routinely.

In the summer of 2010, Raymond and Kayla Herbst, along with their guidance counselor, Daren Patterson, traveled to Wausau to be interviewed by Channel 9 News. They then toured the Ronald McDonald House in Marshfield as well as the PICU at Ministry Saint Joseph’s Children’s Hospital across the street.

Raymond had no idea at the time that in the years to come, he would be a patient there, and his parents would need a place to stay while he recovered.

Thanks to Raymond’s efforts, along with every person who has donated to the Ronald McDonald House, his parents were able to stay in a clean, warm, and loving home and not have to worry about a thing.

Raymond and Chequamegon High School Give Back

While Raymond was hospitalized, the students at Chequamegon High School held a fundraiser to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House in Marshfield. Raymond was able to present a check for $510.00 that was raised in his name.

This story is truly an example of love and dedication in “Coming Full Circle.”