Family First

Traveling with children can be daunting for even the most seasoned parent, but leaving the comfort of your own home to seek medical care for a child adds an entirely different level of stress and emotions. FedExFamilyHouse exists to take some of that burden off the shoulders of overwhelmed parents who come to Le Bonheur from out of town.

Shelbie and Jeremiah Hudson, of Amory, Miss., understand the roller coaster of emotions that parents endure during lengthy hospital stays. When Shelbie was just 18 weeks pregnant with her second son, Owen, her water broke; she was immediately admitted into a Tupelo hospital. Owen was born at just 27 weeks gestation, and he stayed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) there for four months.

During this time, Shelbie pushed for Owen to be transferred to Le Bonheur because her mother’s intuition told her that he needed more specialized care and support, as he was not eating properly and he suffered from hip dysplasia.

“I was nervous once the time finally came to go to Le Bonheur because it was a much bigger hospital than we were accustomed to,” said Shelbie. “But we immediately felt comfortable, loved and cared for at Le Bonheur.”

On their first night at Le Bonheur, Shelbie and Jeremiah arrived with Owen around 3 a.m. and slept for three hours on a small couch in his NICU hospital room. The next day, a social worker told them about FedExFamilyHouse. Initially, the idea of not staying in the hospital with Owen made the parents quite nervous, but after months away from home the exhausted couple thought it might be a good idea.

“I literally felt like we were at home when we walked in to FedExFamilyHouse,” said Shelbie. “We were amazed at the rooms, and it was so nice to take a warm shower and sleep — really sleep! A night with no beeping monitors, alarms or general sounds of the hospital was a game changer.”

The next day they explored the rest of FedExFamilyHouse and were blown away by how much was available.

“After being in the NICU for months, it got really expensive. Vending machines and fast food costs add up, and suddenly we were able to enjoy snacks free of charge and make meals in the beautiful kitchens at FedExFamilyHouse,” said Shelbie.

Owen spent a month at Le Bonheur before he was strong enough to go home. After a long four months in the Tupelo NICU, Owen’s stay at Le Bonheur weighed on the family both emotionally and financially.

“FedExFamilyHouse offered such comfort and took a huge weight off our shoulders,” said Shelbie.

When Owen was in the NICU in Tupelo, his big brother, Jack Wesson, wasn’t able to meet him, but FedExFamilyHouse offered the Hudsons a comfortable place for big brother to enjoy, too. With a play area full of toys, books and stuffed animals, Jack Wesson never felt cooped up or bored. Best of all, he was finally able to meet Owen. Jack Wesson loved having a place to play and explore while staying with his parents, and it was a comfort to Shelbie and Jeremiah to have their family of four together at last. 

“Le Bonheur made us feel like we were a step closer to home,” said Shelbie. “FedExFamilyHouse makes follow-up visits and regular appointments feel less stressful. We don’t dread future visits because we know we can count on Le Bonheur to welcome us and truly care about our family."