Meet Krista, Eric, Luca & Max

My name is Krista Olivieri. My family and I are from St. Catharines, Ontario and we stayed at RMH®SCO for nearly 6 months.

Hometown St. Catharines

Service Used Hamilton House, Hamilton Family Room, Niagara Family Room

Days 136

Our Story

When our eldest son, Luca, was born at 30-weeks gestation weighing less than a pound of butter, we knew we had a long journey ahead. We had heard wonderful things about Ronald McDonald House and the Family Rooms before his birth, but nothing could have prepared us for the special place we called home for the next 6 months.

Knowing we had a comfortable place to sleep, eat, and, when we could, relax and laugh made our long days in the NICU a little easier. Not to mention the House was only a 5 minute walk from the hospital should we need to get over there quickly.

Eric was especially grateful for the onsite fitness room - it gave him a space to de-stress between work and hospital visits with Luca. One of our favourite parts of the House was the Wellness Room. Once a week, we made our way down to enjoy the amazing massage chairs. It became our regular "date night," helping us decompress and reset after ling, noisy days in the NICU.

Those little things really helped the House feel like home. During our time there, the staff and volunteers became familiar faces - people who genuinely cared about how our day was going and celebrated with us each time our little guy gained a pound.

When Eric went back to work in July, I spent many days at Ronald McDonald House on my own. I was so grateful to have a place to come "home" to every afternoon where I felt completely safe being by myself. The staff and volunteers were incredible, especially when I had my own medical complications. When I had my gallbladder removed just days before Luca got his tracheostomy and g-tube. They helped me carry meals and move around the House when I was recovering - something I'll never forget.

Luca was what motivated us to be strong through it all. Our tiny boy endured so many challenges, lots of ups and downs, but he was such a fighter (and still is today!). Luca has follow-up appointments at McMaster every couple months but is otherwise busy enjoying life at home with us and his new little brother, Max. We're hopeful that soon he won't need his ventilator during the day - that's one step closer to being trach-free!

We're so grateful for everything Ronald McDonald House does to support families like ours during some of the most difficult days imaginable. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.