18 Mar The Cope Family

In late 2014 Tiffany and Kyle Cope received a long awaited call from their adoption agency. A baby boy’s biological mother chose Tiffany and Kyle Cope to be the adoptive parents of the child she was carrying. Tiffany and Kyle Cope were ecstatic, their family was growing and Kennedy, their three year old daughter was about to become a big sister!

Plans were in full swing for the homecoming in Ohio for their new son, Wesley. However, the homecoming was going to be delayed. Wesley was born with a serious condition that required him to spend the first month of his life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Woman & Children’s Hospital.

“It was so hard to watch that tiny baby be in a lot of pain,” Tiffany said. “It shattered your heart into a million pieces.”

In November, Tiffany, Kyle and Kennedy became guests at the Ronald McDonald House in Buffalo. “I don’t think we would have survived that month without the Ronald McDonald House,” Tiffany said.

The Ronald McDonald House is home that keeps families together in a time of great crisis. Tiffany and Kyle would take turns dividing their time between snuggling and holding Wesley at the hospital and being mommy and daddy for Kennedy at the Ronald McDonald House. No easy task, but the Ronald McDonald House was there for the Cope’s giving them the support they needed to make it through a very difficult time. “It wasn’t just that they offered a physical place to stay, it was the emotional support, too,” Tiffany said. “They understand how stressful it is.”

At the Ronald McDonald House, Kennedy was able to be a kid, to have fun in the amazing Fisher-Price Playroom, visit with other families and make friends with the staff and volunteers. The Cope’s could share a family meal together each night, drawing strength and support from each other as only a family together can do. “When things were so crazy and hectic and stressful, Kennedy could just go and be a regular kid,” Tiffany said. “It was nice to have that little bit of normalcy for her.”

Wesley is home and doing well. Although he had a rough start to his life, he is now a happy and healthy baby.

“I am so grateful for all the help my family received at the Ronald McDonald House they saved us that month.”