The Ronald McDonald House unveiled its newest floor recently that will offer more options for parents of ill children. The homes’ 4th floor was intentionally left unfinished when the house was built to allow for future expansion. The rooms are fully furnished and some units even have kitchens. Executive Director Beth Trunfio said the house attempts to uplift families during difficult times.
“Provide a home for families with seriously ill children who are travelling to our community for medical care. These families go through the unthinkable daily and we provide essential services to them and allow them to focus on what matters most, which is the health and wellbeing of their children and keeping their families close and together.”
Life changed fast in the spring for Michael Sellitti and his wife Nikki when their daughter Julie was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in her kidney. Sellitti said his daughter is now undergoing her final chemo treatments and miraculously began to feel better while staying at the house.
“We’re a family who spends a lot of time together, we love to cook together and play, of course. So, just having things like thee communal kitchen that we could go down and make breakfast together and be together and come out here and play was all the difference.”
Sellitti said the family including his other daughter Rosie were able to stay together at the Ronald McDonald House. The new 9-thousand square foot expansion cost 1.1 million dollars. Most of the families who’ve stayed at the house while their kids are ill are from the North Country and the Southern Tier followed by the Mohawk Valley.
