Eight-year-old BJ Cross loves to dance.
Whether it’s in a hospital hallway or the lobby of the new Ronald McDonald House in Brookhaven, his energy fills the room. But behind that joy is a journey that has tested him and his family for years.
BJ was diagnosed in 2019 at just 4 years old with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis. That condition later led to interstitial lung disease, a rare and chronic respiratory disorder that makes it difficult to breathe.
Last October, BJ was admitted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Arthur M. Blank Hospital for a bone marrow transplant. His mother, Latoya Cross, says doctors once warned the family to prepare for the worst.
“They said he probably had about five years life expectancy,” she said. “He’s eight now.”
Through hospital stays, chemotherapy, and months of uncertainty, BJ kept dancing.
For more than 75 nights, BJ and his family have stayed at the new Ronald McDonald House Atlanta, which officially opened in December, steps away from the hospital campus. The facility allows families traveling for specialized medical care to stay close to their children at little to no cost.
In 2025 alone, Ronald McDonald House Atlanta provided more than 23,000 nights of rest for families and saved them nearly $9 million in lodging, food, and transportation costs.
“We are a place where families stay when they’re traveling with sick or injured children often when care wouldn’t be possible without this resource,” said Tracey Atwater, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Atlanta.
The new five-story facility represents a 75% expansion from its previous location and includes indoor and outdoor play spaces designed to give children moments of normalcy during treatment.
For BJ’s parents, the house has provided more than convenience; it’s offered community.
“Being able to be around other parents going through the same thing … it’s therapeutic,” Latoya Cross said. “You realize you’re not alone.” BJ’s father says the biggest sign of healing isn’t found in a chart, it’s in his son’s movement.
“Watching him now not getting winded, running, dancing … that’s the healing,” Brenton Cross said.
BJ and his family are preparing for the next step in his recovery and plan to return home soon. Until then, BJ continues to do what he does best, dance.
