Help Alicia raise money

As most of you know I am from Boston. This simple detail made for an easier decision when we were looking for better medical care for our daughter. 

After feeling very frustrated with the care and support we were receiving in NY we looked towards Boston Children’s Hospital. It was a scary decision knowing we would have to travel back and forth and be far from home and family in NY. However, we knew not only would we be at the #1 Pediatric Hospital in the country but we would have the support of my family close to Boston. 

Over the past three years we have traveled to Boston many times for doctors appointments and various procedures/surgeries. We have stayed with family and at hotels.  We have always had the option to stay with my sister and her family where we feel at home.  This environment offers us some sense of peace during an otherwise stressful time.  It is a home base away from home. My sister, Grace’s godmother, always goes above and beyond to make sure we are all comfortable and supported while traveling. It is a spot that Grace can relax and be at ease. Hotels offer convenience but a home environment offers comfort and support. 

Recently, my sister, asked if I wanted to run the Falmouth Road Race. I wasn’t too eager to join her until a week later when I saw Hospitality Homes on The Nightly News. It was a moment of gratitude for how fortunate I feel to have wonderful medical care for our daughter but also a place to stay without ever having to worry. There were a few times when hotels were hard to come by like graduation weekend in Boston or when we didn’t feel comfortable staying in one at the height of the pandemic...Auntie Ca and family to the rescue! 

I think the mission of Hospitality Homes is amazing! They provide free(no cost) and low-cost short term housing in volunteer host homes for families of patients seeking care at Boston-area health organizations. I am honored to run with their team and raise money to help those other families that come from far away and add a little less stress by having a place to stay. 

I am running for not only my daughter but fellow BCH patient Emelia and her family who have benefited from Hospitality Homes. Please read Emelia's Journey below.

I hope you are able to donate and help me make a difference in some of the families traveling for life saving / changing medical care in Boston. I am grateful for all of your support!

Love, Alicia 

Emelia’s journey:

My husband and I have five children under 16 years old and we live in Missouri. In July, my 12 year old daughter was diagnosed with a rare medical condition that required surgery. Our local Children's hospital was not very experienced with treating this condition and we found that Boston Children's Hospital was one of the leading experts in this field. After consulting the surgeon at Boston Children's Hospital, we decided that this was the place we needed to come for treatment.

It's quite daunting to think about traveling to a state you've never been to. When we looked around for housing, we were shocked at the prices. We consulted the hospital but housing under the hospital assistance program was full. I was worried and concerned about how we were going to afford housing until the hospital referred us to Hospitality Homes.  The program was easy to navigate and the staff was amazing. The different options were explained to us and we were able to pick the option that best met our family's needs. Every email was responded to very timely and it really helped relieve my stress knowing that this part of our trip was taken care of.

If we didn't have Hospitality Homes, we would have resorted to paying full price for hotel costs as all other housing options were full. It would have caused a tremendous amount of stress on all of us. Thank you so much for all your help.