A Beginning of Care and Compassion Creates a Lifelong Bond

Sisters NICU is known for providing the very best and highest quality of care to the littlest of patients. What sets it apart and makes it special place, are the life long bonds that are formed between the parents and the staff. Renee Filip, Director of Strategic Planning & Communications, Office of the VP for Finance & Administration, University at Buffalo, has one of those bonds and shared her very special and personal experience with us:

“I can’t believe that Marshal is now 15; and I’m his mother!  I haven’t seen Dr. Riley since his birth. However, I still can remember how wonderful he was to me and how he worked with Marshal. He made that day very special for me. I remember him mentioning that they took the blood draw and it came back positive for Down Syndrome. Though shocking news for any parent, Dr. Riley focused on congratulating me on having a beautiful baby boy and how happy he was for me. His perspective was key in how I approached being a new mom of a child with special needs.”

Sharing Her Story and Giving Back to the NICU

Renee also serves as chair of the board of directors for The Children’s Guild Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that supports children with special needs by advocating on behalf of and financially supporting the efforts of nonprofit organizations that serve that population.

In 2016, the board was reviewing applications from community organizations that had applied for a grant. Sisters Hospital was one of those organizations as fundraising was beginning for the new NICU. Renee shared her story with the board and how that experience had impacted her path to becoming a new parent.

“I remember that there was such joy and celebration, and every resource was made available to me,” she recalls. “I felt a sense of belonging to the Sisters Community, and that feeling has remained all of these years later.”

The Sisters Hospital NICU project was chosen as a grant recipient in 2016 and given $250,000 to be used towards the construction of The Children’s Guild Foundation 9 Bed Pod.

Last year, Renee and her son Marshal, came back to Sisters Hospital to tour the new NICU and to reunite with Dr. Riley. It was a very emotional and proud visit as Marshal and Renee have both grown – her, into a confident, caring and loving mother and him, into a curious and enthusiastic teenager with a great sense of humor and imagination. When asked what Marshal loves most about his mother, he replied, “My mom is a sweetiepie. She is smart and has a good heart.”

Learn more about the Sisters of Charity Hospital NICU, visit us online.