I just wanted to share a story from a family that stayed at the Ronald McDonald House:

Dallas and Adrian Filipi were born eight weeks premature on September 5, 2010 at North Country Regional Hospital in Bemidji, MN, to Ben and Tracy Filipi.

 Six hours after their births, Dallas and Adrian were stabilized enough to be flown from Bemidji to the Sanford Children’s Hospital in Fargo, ND. The flight to Fargo was very stressful on both boys and the on flight staff and the NICU staff worked hard on getting them stable once again.

 This was a very difficult time for Ben and Tracy. They were not sure if their precious baby boys were going to be okay. Ben and Tracy had already had to say goodbye to their beautiful little girl Lilliana, who was taken to Heaven at 15 months old, and the thought of losing their sons as well was simply unbearable.

 Ben was able to travel to Fargo the day after their birth, but Tracy wasn’t discharged for 48 hours.

 For the first few days after Tracy’s discharge Ben and Tracy drove back and forth from Bemidji to Fargo. As Tracy wasn’t medically cleared to drive yet, the driving all fell on Ben. They were both emotionally and physically exhausted but they needed to be in Fargo with their sons.

 The hospital staff told the Filipi’s about the Ronald McDonald House and thankfully there was a room available for them to stay at the north house, only a few blocks from the hospital.

 “The home was beautiful and the staff was wonderful—very kind and supportive for us during a very stressful time”

 Ben was still needed back at work in Park Rapids so Tracy stayed at the Ronald McDonald House during the week and Ben would come back on the weekends.

 We were lucky enough to have Ben and Tracy share their story with us at the 22nd Annual Sweetheart Ball. They said, “The home was very comfortable and it indeed was our home away from home.

It was so nice to be able to spend the days with our sons and come back to a cozy, safe and comfortable home just a few blocks away. Not only did we have a place to stay but we received so many awesome gifts for our little boys which include preemie diapers, two beautiful handmade quilts and two handmade crib blankets. As an additional keepsake, we received a Ronald McDonald House picture frame that holds our first picture taken as a family.”

 “…it indeed was our home away from home.”

 “Having the opportunity to stay at the Ronald McDonald House alleviated a lot of stress we would have otherwise had. If we would have had to stay in a hotel for three weeks or drive back and forth, the financial burden would have been too great for us and I don’t think staying with them daily would have been an option.”

 The Filipi’s stayed with us for 21 days before Dallas and Adrian got to go home on their one month birthday, October 5^th. They are thriving and doing great.

www.rmhcfargo.org