A Place To Stay During Recovery

When dealing with the emotional strain of a child’s surgery and health, finding a place to lay your head ought to be the last thing to worry about.

The nonprofit children’s charity Steven’s Hope for Children provides just that-an apartment for seriously ill or injured children from Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and their families during outpatient treatment.

Whereas the Ronald McDonald House at the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital provides a place to stay for the family during the surgery and hospital stay, Steven’s Hope is involved with providing housing, goods and other services during outpatient care. Patients are drawn from all over the United States to Loma Linda; when they must find a house for several weeks or months during outpatient care, they find themselves at a loss.

“This part of the process is not even thought about,” says Tony Cappelli, President and founder of Steven’s Hope. “The doctor’s say, ‘Great news! We discharge you from the hospital, but you can’t go home. We need you near the hospital for the next 10 day.’”

This critical time—of waiting and healing—is not only an emotionally tense time for families of transplant and other seriously ill patients, but can put an incredible financial burden on the family.

There are families with two-parent incomes that are doing fine before the surgery, but when a parent must move to be near the hospital to care for their child, they often times have to take time off from work or quit,” Cappelli said. “And on top of that they have to find a place—and apartment or a hotel to stay at.”

That’s where Steven’s Hope steps in, giving parents and children housing where they can heal and hope for the best. Since gaining its official status as a non profit nearly two years ago, Steven’s Hope for Children has provided housing for seven families from as far away as Mexico and as close as Victorville.

These extended stays lasted as long as five months and as short as four weeks.

The pair of two-bedroom, two-bath apartments are within minutes from Loma Linda University Medical Center and come furnished with pots and pan, linens and homey decorations. A private kitchen and bathroom provide a safe, germ-free environment where the child can rebuild his health and the family can rebuild as a unit. DSL-Internet cables allow a patient’s parents to work from home.

The organization asks for $10 a night from the families to offset the costs, but the fee can be waived.

Steven’s Hope provides groceries and taxi vouchers when there is a need. Families qualify for the housing when their child is seriously ill and show financial need. Priority is given to patients of heart-related conditions, but help is given to cancer patients or bone marrow transplant patients. Social workers at the hospital refer the families to the organization.

Husband-and-wife founders Tony and Sandra Cappelli have thrown their hearts into the project and have seen incredible success in two years. With a team of about 10 core volunteers, the tow have led the organization’s growth from one apartment to two apartments, with plans for a third and to build a 6- to 8-unit housing complex. The two run insurance companies in the Upland area and are parents of 4-year old twins Nicolas and Alexa.

Like others who are driven to go the extra miles, their enthusiasm stems from a significant personal experience. The couple’s son, Steven was diagnosed in the fifth month of pregnancy with a fatal heart disease—a hypoplastic left heart. He was born on December 13, 2000 but lived only 32 hours. Sandra Cappelli, in search of a reason for what happened, kept a journal throughout the tumultuous time. It was through this journal and the desire to share their family’s experience that the idea of Steven’s Hope came about.

“Before our experience with Steven, we didn’t even know that this need existed,” Tony Cappelli said. “What has made it grow is that we got excited about something that we knew we could be successful at. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves.”

Since its beginning, it has gown faster than both Sandra or Tony would have predicted. The two have found a generous community willing to help. It has adopted new programs in order to broaden its outreach like “Fill A Need.” This program brings Steven’s Hope in contact with other nonprofits in order to fill a specific need for a family—whether I be buying clothes or paying a cell phone bill. A project they are working on now involves putting on a quincinetta for a 14-year-old patient.

“We are light years ahead of where I thought we’d be,” Tony Cappelli said.

Steven’s Hope will hold its second annual Golf Tournament on May 18 at the Trilogy Golf course in Glen Ivy. This is one of two annual fund-raisers that the group puts on—a ball in the fall and a golf tournament in the spring. Already 100 players are signed up and the group has earned more than expected. The group is still looking for sponsors.

With the proceeds of the tournament, the group hopes to purchase a third apartment, for with Fiesta Development has already purchased a complete set of furniture. And Tony Cappelli has is eyes set on buying land for the 6- to 8-unit housing complex.

“I have land planners and architects that have volunteered to submit plans,: Tony Cappelli said. “I just need dirt!”

In the future, the organization would like to created outpatient housing at children’s hospitals throughout the United States. Sandra Cappelli seeing how much the group has accomplished has faith the dream can be realized.

“So many doors have been opened to us,” said Sandra Cappelli, vice-president of Steven’s Hope.

For more information on signing up to play for the golf tournament, to donate or to volunteer, visit stevenshope.org or call 866-3-STEVEN