A home away from home. That’s the case for a mother and daughter from Puerto Rico who have spent more than a dozen stays at Ronald McDonald House Southern New Jersey.
checks in with Kailitza “Kaili” Carrasquillo and her mom, Pattyann Melendez, a year after first introducing the duo during the annual telethon.
Kaili, as everyone calls her, is unofficially a part of the welcoming committee at the Camden-based house. The now 20-year-old from Puerto Rico said she’s lost count of how many times she’s stayed here.
“Every day, I just look forward to coming down and seeing all of my people,” Carrasquillo said. “I love it here.”20-year-old Kailitza “Kaili” Carrasquillo
Provided
When the team talked with her, she was staying at the house for the second time this year, both times extended stays.
“If I wouldn’t be here, where would I be? Like, I wouldn’t have another place to stay,” Carrasquillo said. “I can’t take a plane every day from Puerto Rico to here.”
We spoke with Carrasquillo and Melendez just weeks before her major operation last fall.
“This is one of my toughest years with Kailitza and this operation she had,” Melendez said of the time since they last spoke on camera. “It was a 7-on-1 operation. She couldn’t eat or talk. Her mouth was shut for three months.”
Throughout her recovery, the two stayed at the Camden house, going back and forth to Philadelphia for appointments. While they were able to spend time in Puerto Rico over the summer, the two came back to the house a few weeks ago.
“Every day is something new for me,” Kaili said.
Recent testing uncovered new issues in Kaili’s health journey. It’s unclear how long they’ll stay at the house this time around.
“That’s my main thing. Once I hear something, I’m like, at least we have somewhere to stay,” Melendez said. “That’s why we’re so grateful.”
They are also grateful for the community they’ve built here — not just amongst other families but the staff and volunteers, too.
“We’re all going through something,” Melendez said. “So we understand each other better than somebody who’s not going through things. So when you come home and you get that hug. It’s so wonderful.”