Local Artist Inspired by Son’s Health Challenges Uses Talents to Give Back

The year 2018 was full of surprises for Laura Petka. First came the happy news that she was pregnant and expecting twins. The next surprise was less welcome — one of the babies wouldn’t be born healthy.

When Petka’s identical twin sons arrived early two days before Christmas, baby Hayes was whisked off to surgery to correct his jejunal atresia, a rare, potentially life-threatening condition in which an infant’s small intestine fails to completely form before birth.

Hayes’ first surgery was unsuccessful, and so were the several that followed. By 7 months old, Hayes was feeble. 

When doctors suggested making another attempt to repair Hayes’ intestine, the Petka family began looking for alternatives and found Dr. Michael Helmrath, a pediatric surgeon at Cincinnati Children’s dedicated to helping young patients with intestinal diseases.

The day after Helmrath accepted Hayes’ case, Petka flew with the baby to Cincinnati, leaving her husband and three other children behind in Dallas. Helmrath’s team began stabilizing Hayes so that he would be prepared for surgery and told Petka there was no reason for the family to be separated. They could all stay next to the hospital in the Ronald McDonald House.

Petka wasn’t familiar with the house, and at first hesitated to go. When she walked in, she was “just in awe.” 

“It was just a gorgeous facility,” she said, “and the people were so kind and loving.”

Petka’s husband, Matt, and three other children were able to join her in Cincinnati in a two-bedroom apartment. The Ronald McDonald House provided them with toys, blankets, and meals, even when they returned late at night after spending a long day with Hayes at the hospital. While Petka’s other young children participated in scheduled activities, she and her husband focused on Hayes’ health.

Hayes recovered under Dr. Helmrath’s care. He had his last surgery a week before his first birthday and is now a thriving 5-year-old ready to start kindergarten in the fall.

“He’s healthy now, and it’s such a blessing to have our family the way God intended it to be, all together here,” Petka said. 

Petka has dedicated herself to sharing her good fortune with other families whose children have medical challenges. She is now on the board of Ronald McDonald House of Dallas and a member of its Fund Development Committee. In 2023, she co-chaired the Dallas House’s annual gala. That year, the gala raised $650,000, shattering its previous fundraising record.

Petka, a local artist, has also drawn on the ever-oscillating emotions of her life to inspire her professional work. Her studio showcases dynamic paintings with bold textures and vibrant colors. A painting that looks almost black in her studio transforms to shades of blue in natural light. A smooth, bright red painting has a square of roughly painted orange at its core.

“What’s at the center of your world? When I think about it for myself, it’s our family, my faith, school, education, this neighborhood, everything,” she said. “But when you put all that together in a life, it’s all kind of crazy, and it’s like living in rapids, living out on the ocean with all the waves.”

This April, Petka brought her talent as an artist and dedication to the Ronald McDonald House together to create a painting that would be auctioned at the House’s gala. The House hoped the painting could be sold for $5,000. Petka’s piece, which featured hearts drawn by Ronald McDonald House children, raised $10,000. 

Petka helped the children paint the piece, titled Hearts of Love, on a large-scale canvas, and the line of aspiring young artists often stretched out the door of the activity room.

“Some were in wheelchairs. Some had brain tumors. Some had heart issues. Some couldn’t walk. Some couldn’t move their hands themselves, so I held their hand to help them paint,” she said. “But it was so cool to see how meaningful it was to them.”

Laura Petka’s paintings are bold, dynamic, textured, and, best of all, affordable. The cost of Petka’s paintings varies based on size and ranges from $1,000 to $6,000. Visit laurapetkaart.com to learn more about her work.

To support Ronald McDonald House, which has focused on caring for families around the world for 50 years, visit rmhc.org.