Marchesseault Family

The first time Melissa Marchesseault walked into the Providence Ronald McDonald House, it was like being engulfed by a big, warm hug. She desperately needed one.

Marchesseault had undergone a C-section just one day earlier. Her now her baby girl, Anna, was being treated in the neonatal intensive care unit at Providence's Women & Infants’ Hospital. Marchesseault was tired, sore, upset and feeling completely overwhelmed. The hospital was taking care of Anna. But it would be the Ronald McDonald House that would take care of Melissa.

At a vulnerable time when Marchesseault could only think about Anna's well-being, the House staff did what it does best. It provided everything Marchesseault needed so she had the strength, time and energy to devote to her newborn daughter.

Marchesseault knew she was in a place of refuge when she had her first meal in nearly two days at the House. It was a chicken stew prepared by a volunteer. To Marchesseault, it smelled like home and tasted just like a stew her mother would have made. For a mother who was scared that she might lose her baby girl, it was more than food. It was also nourishment for her soul.

Even at that moment, as she cried for the first time since her ordeal had begun, Marchesseault somehow began to feel stronger.

She was given a room on the ground floor so she didn't have to use the stairs -- which would have been painful after having undergone surgery. She was given a comfortable, clean room that was close to the kitchen where Marchesseault could get the occasional, and much-needed, cup of coffee. She had access to laundry facilities and there were even toys for her three older children.

Most importantly, though, she was close to the hospital and Anna. She could be at her baby girl's side at a moment's notice. That was crucial because she  needed to be at the hospital every two hours to feed her baby.

Anna spent 10 days at Women & Infants Hospital. Looking back, the Marchesseault family can't thank the volunteers enough for their kindness and compassion at a time when they needed it the most. The Providence Ronald McDonald House always will be part of their family.

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