When Grace and Andrei learned their daughter Elise would be born with a complex heart condition, they knew the road ahead would be challenging. What they couldn’t prepare for was the emotional toll of navigating serious medical treatment while trying to keep their family together.
For the Pimpama family, Elise’s journey has been marked with resilience, uncertainty, and countless moments of strength. Through it all, they have faced every challenge together – as a family, thanks to Ronald McDonald House South East Queensland.
Elise was diagnosed before birth with Tetralogy of Fallot with Pulmonary Atresia, as well as ventricular and atrial septal defects and DiGeorge Syndrome.
For Grace and Andrei, the diagnosis brought a wave of emotions. Alongside the fear and uncertainty surrounding their daughter’s health, was the reality that Elise’s condition would require significant medical intervention from the very beginning of her life.
Since birth, Elise has undergone two open-heart surgeries and three cardiac catheterisations, spending extended periods at the Queensland Children’s Hospital receiving specialist cardiac care. While her medical journey has presented many challenges, Elise continues to show remarkable strength as she progresses through treatment and recovery.
When a child requires ongoing specialist care, the impact is felt by the entire family.
One of the hardest parts of Elise’s diagnosis was the thought of being separated from their son, Eli. At just two years old, he was too young to understand why his sister needed hospital care or why his parents sometimes had to divide their attention.
The family’s situation became even more challenging during unexpected hospital admissions, when plans would change in an instant and difficult decisions needed to be made quickly.
Like many families that stay with us, the Rico’s found themselves balancing hospital appointments, caregiving responsibilities, work commitments, financial pressures and the needs of a sibling, all while navigating the uncertainty of what lay ahead.
Introduced to Ronald McDonald House South East Queensland through hospital staff, the family found far more than a place to stay during Elise’s treatment. Across two admissions, they spent a total of nine weeks staying at both Ronald McDonald House South East Queensland Herston and South Brisbane. Here they remained close to the hospital while keeping their family connected.
The greatest gift was simple but invaluable: they didn’t have to choose between their children. Eli had a safe place to play, learn and maintain a sense of normality, while his parents remained only moments away from Elise’s medical care.
While having a place to stay was critical, it was the people behind Ronald McDonald House South East Queensland who left the greatest impression on the Rico family.
Throughout their stays, employees and volunteers offered support in ways both big and small. From freshly prepared meals through the Meals from the Heart program, warm conversations, and activities that kept Eli occupied during difficult days. Each gesture reminded the family they were surrounded by a caring community.
The family reflects on other moments of joy that broke through uncertainty. Like free haircuts for Eli, Christmas in the House, and a welcoming environment that helps make an incredibly difficult period a little easier to bear.
Today, Grace and Andrei remain deeply grateful for the support their family received.
For families navigating childhood illness or injury, staying together and close can make all the difference. And for Grace, Andrei, Elise, and Eli, that closeness became one of the most important parts of their journey.
Families never expect to need Ronald McDonald House South East Queensland. But when a child is ill or injured, having a place to stay close can change everything.
