Meet Cristy, Carlos, & Isabela

My name is Cristy Aponte. My husband and I stayed at RMHC®SCO for 88 nights when I our daughter was born at just 29 weeks.

Hometown Kitchener

Service Used Hamilton House, Hamilton Family Room

Days 88

Our Story

My husband, Carlos, and I stayed at Ronald McDonald House Charities South Central Ontario (RMHC SCO) when our daughter Isabela was born at 29 weeks, weighing just 1.6oz. We live in Kitchener and due to her prematurity had to deliver in McMaster Children’s Hospital.

After being diagnosed with Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR), Isabela was born at 29 weeks gestation (she was not growing as expected). When she was first born, everything was going as good as a premature birth can go - she was intubated and responding well to her new environment. We were projected to only stay for a few weeks. However, when she was 5 days old, she got gravely ill and had to have emergency surgery. It turned out that she had a stomach perforation. The prognosis was grim due to the severity of the hole and how invasive the surgery was. But, Isabela showed us all what a miracle she is and within 1 week of the surgery started tolerating food. After this it became a typical stay for a premature baby, which meant we waited for her lungs to grow so that she could breathe on her own as well as eat by herself.

When we realized how long we were going to be in the hospital and away from home we were overwhelmed and stressed because we could not afford all the associated expenses. The staff at the hospital recommended that we reach out to RMHC SCO since we lived an hour away in Kitchener. Carlos and I previously heard from RMHC as we both had worked at McDonald’s during high school. However, being so young, we hadn’t grasped the magnitude of the work that RMHC did, and never did we think that we would end up needing their help.

It was a big relief when we learned that there was room at RMHC SCO since it meant that we could be within walking distance of the hospital and our newborn daughter. Prior to checking-in at the House we were staying a 30 minute drive away from the hospital; when Isabela became ill, we received a phone call in the middle of the night and immediately drove to the hospital. Even though it was only a 30-minute drive, it felt like an eternity and made us desperate to be closer to her.

Since Isabela was born during the pandemic only one parent was allowed in the room at the time. Previous to staying at RMHC SCO, both Carlos and I would go to the hospital from 7am to 11pm and split our time with her - one would be with her while the other wander the hallways for several hours and then we’d switch. This was the only way we could be with Isabela because the cost of gas, kilometres on our car, and hospital parking meant it wasn’t feasible to take multiple trips to and from the hospital. But, when we moved into the Ronald McDonald House, we were able to easily take a 6-minute walk back and forth to the hospital any time during the day. Staying at the House allowed us to get more rest and take better care of ourselves so we could support our daughter.

At the House were provided with hot meals at the everyday; this was a relief as hospital food can get very costly and repetitive. We were given a spacious room, which became our second home for the 4 months of our NICU stay. Having this privacy allowed us to spend time together as a couple, cry in privacy when we needed to and disconnect and breathe when we needed it.

Aside from providing us with a room, food and the opportunity to be close to our daughter, RMHC SCO gave us another family. At the house we met many families that were also in the NICU and instantly became great friends. As we were all going through one of the hardest times in our lives, we found in each other a great source of comfort as we were all going through similar experiences. Specifically with 4 other families, we made it a point to have dinners together, go on walks, grab bubble tea and make meals together. Spending time together gave us a break from our hospital routine and provided a source of joy during this stressful time. A year after being out of the hospital, we are still in constant contact with these families and continue to see each other whenever possible. Thanks to RMHC SCO we have these long-life friendships.

Our families and the three others we met even teamed up this year as “Little Women” to help raise funds for RMHC SCO. We would like many other families to have access to RMHC and all they provide as they completely changed our lives by supporting us during the most difficult time of our lives.