ROCHESTER, N.Y. – It’s the countdown until BEE A Hero Day, an annual fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester. The nonprofit provides free housing, meals, and emotional support for families as their children receive medical care in Rochester.
The nonprofit aims to be a lifeline for families facing the toughest chapters of their lives. Shelby and Joe Lupisella experienced this firsthand when they learned halfway through Shelby’s pregnancy that something wasn’t right.
“Elsie had something called placental insufficiency,” Shelby said. “We knew that there was something wrong with the pregnancy at about 20 weeks. And at 23 weeks, I was made inpatient and I stayed in the hospital for two weeks until I delivered. Elsie was born at 25 weeks, 2 days of gestation at 15 ounces. She came out fighting. She was in the NICU for 145 days.”
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For those first precious days of Elsie’s life, her parents were as close as possible thanks to the Ronald McDonald House within the hospital.
“Personally I really struggled leaving the hospital and like driving away when you know your kid’s still back there,” Joe said.
Being just an elevator ride away from their tiny new daughter brought comfort to Shelby and Joe during that time.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to stay with her, but otherwise I would’ve had to – while healing from a c-section – come back every day, pump as much as I can, do what I have to do from home… but leaving is heartbreaking …heartbreaking,” Shelby shared.
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The Ronald McDonald House eased that pain by taking care of other daily stressors – like food, laundry, and transportation — allowing them to focus on what mattered most.
“It is nice to, you know, have people there that actually understand what you’re going through,” Joe said.
“People making meals, and bringing them, and the staff members checking us in at midnight, us leaving at 3 a.m. if Elsie had an issue and we had to leave really late… and then they’re also buzzing us back in… they’re staying up all night, these staff members, to be able to provide for people who need it the most,” Shelby added.
Joanne Ryan, president and CEO of the Ronald McDonald House, spoke about how resilient the families they serve are.
“They get strength from each other – they get strength from our families,” said Joanne Ryan. “Our families are so resilient. The amazing thing is they come in and they’re in chaos, and they don’t even realize how strong they are,” Ryan added.
Today, Elsie is full of strength, energy, and personality, thriving on a visit back to where it all began. “She’s hilarious. She thinks that she’s the funniest girl in the room because she is the funniest girl in the room,” Shelby laughed. “Yeah, she’s very high energy, which is great, because I’m a pretty high energy person so it’s perfect,” Joe said.
The Ronald McDonald House will forever be a part of the Lupisella’s story. “She’s a blast. So, we’re blessed,” Joe and Shelby said. “Beyond lucky.”
“When a family arrives, they’re typically in crisis,” Ryan said. “Families come in with so much uncertainty: a pre-term delivery, a baby that’s 23, 24 weeks… their stays are very long.”
You can donate to help families like the Lupisellas all day on BEE A Hero Day on Friday. Click here to learn more.
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