Nothing is more stressful for a parent and family than having a hospitalized child. The feeling of helplessness is overwhelming, especially when you live far from the hospital. Studies have long shown that parent presence at the bedside of a sick child is critical to bonding and long-term recovery. For low-income families that don’t live near the hospital, staying in the area can be a significant hardship.
The Bill and Elizabeth Shea House is a four-bedroom home on hospital grounds that provides a safe place of respite for out-of-town families to be close to their hospitalized children. The house is named in gratitude for the major benefactors of the project, Bill and Elizabeth Shea. The project was made possible by the generosity of the World Croquet Championship Children’s Foundation led by Brice Cutrer Jones.
Families stay for free and the stays range from 1-90 days depending on how long the baby is in the hospital. Considering the average cost of a nearby hotel room with kitchen facilities is more than $225 per night, it’s easy to see how a lengthy hospital stay could be a hardship on any family, let alone one with limited financial resources. Thanks to generous donors, each family is also provided gift cards for local grocery stores and restaurants to make the financial burden even lighter during this stressful time.
This lodging is available to any family of a hospitalized child in Santa Rosa. Please contact the social work department at (707) 576-4409 for inquiries about staying at the Shea House.
Your gift to the Shea House will ensure that families have a safe, nurturing place to stay very close to their sick newborn. Thank you for helping to make an unimaginable experience a little easier!
