When Being There Matters Most: Alexander's Story

When your child is hospitalized, there's only one place you want to be: by their side.

For Marcela, a single mother raising her children, that simple wish came with an enormous financial burden.

Her son Alexander lives with cystic fibrosis (CF), and when complications from the disease led to a three-week hospitalization, Marcela faced an incredibly difficult situation. She needed to be at the hospital with Alex, but being away meant missing work and losing income her family depended on.

The Hidden Costs of a Hospital Stay

While Alexander received medical care, Marcela was juggling responsibilities that didn't stop just because her son was sick.

Traveling a long distance to the hospital meant additional expenses for transportation, meals and other necessities. Meanwhile, rent and household bills still needed to be paid, and her other children still needed her care and attention.

As Marcela explained:

"As a single mother, missing work has created a significant financial hardship for our family."

It's a reality many families living with cystic fibrosis know all too well. A prolonged hospitalization doesn't just affect the person receiving treatment. It can disrupt an entire family's financial stability, especially when a parent must step away from work to provide care.

Alexander gets a family visit in the hospital

Helping Marcela Be There for Alex

When the financial pressure became overwhelming, Marcela turned to Claire's Place Foundation's Extended Hospital Stay Grant Program.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were able to provide assistance with her family's housing expenses, helping ease the burden during Alexander's hospitalization.

For Marcela, that support meant she could spend less time worrying about how to keep up with bills and more time focusing on her son.

"This grant has helped ease some of that financial stress during an incredibly difficult time and allowed me to focus on being there for Alex when he needs me most."

No Family Should Have to Face It Alone

Marcela's experience is a reminder that supporting someone with cystic fibrosis often means supporting the people who care for them, too.

Parents shouldn't have to choose between earning an income and being present for their child during a medical crisis.

Through our Extended Hospital Stay Grant Program, Claire's Place Foundation helps families facing these difficult circumstances by providing financial assistance with rent or mortgage payments during qualifying extended hospital stays or home IV treatments.

For Marcela, knowing that someone was there to help made a meaningful difference.

"Having support from the CF community reminds families that we are not alone in this journey."

Because of our donors, families like Marcela's can focus on what matters most: being together when they need each other most.

Your generosity makes this support possible, one family at a time.