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BASIN CITY The past three months have thrown several obstacles into the path of Maria Ramirez and Alfredo Rizo and their growing family.
But that period also has shown the young couple how a community can come together to help a family in need.
Ramirez, 21, was pregnant with the Basin City couple's second child when she began experiencing preterm labor three months ago. Doctors were able to delay the birth of her daughter, Vanessa, but Ramirez ended up spending more than a month at Kadlec Regional Medical Center starting in mid-October.
Then on Nov. 24, just two days before Thanksgiving, Vanessa Rizo was born 32 weeks into Ramirez's pregnancy, or about eight weeks early. She weighed just 3 pounds, 9 ounces.
The tiny baby girl spent two weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before she was healthy enough to move to Kadlec's new Pediatric Unit and then to be discharged from the hospital Friday at the age of 17 days.
In the meantime, Rizo, 23, had been laid off from his seasonal employment as a farm worker. Because of Ramirez's hospitalization, he was left to care for their 2-year-old daughter and his 6-year-old son on his own, which meant he couldn't look for work.
And the heater in the mobile home they own -- which has cracked and broken windows -- conked out as temperatures began to plummet, making it no place for a fragile newborn.
At the same time, Richland company DirectBuy, a discount retail membership club, called the Kadlec Foundation wanting to adopt some families and hospital employees for the holidays.
Christin Hutchcraft, DirectBuy sales manager, said she and other company employees had decided they wanted to help people in need during the holidays. She thought of Kadlec because her mother had once spent December in the hospital when she was a teen.
"No one should have to spend their holidays in the hospital," Hutchcraft said.
Rozanne Tucker, director of philanthropy for the Kadlec Foundation, took the call from DirectBuy and began asking around about patients and families in need. She talked to social worker Tiffany Thorson, who immediately thought of Ramirez and Rizo.
The couple never asked for help, but the need was clear, Thorson said.
"Our job as social workers is to take care of the nonmedical stuff," Thorson said. "We can't discharge a baby to a house that is as cold inside as it is outside."
Hutchcraft heard the couple's story and thought they sounded deserving of help. They were one of four families adopted by the company this holiday season who will receive warm clothes, toys for children and other household items.
The company went a step further for Ramirez and Rizo and found contractors to fix their heater and replace all of their windows.
That work will be done the day after Christmas, so in the meantime Paragon Corporate Housing has offered up a fully furnished two-bedroom apartment where the couple and their children can stay. Kadlec Foundation is splitting the cost of the apartment with Paragon.
Paragon owner John Crook said he's worked with Kadlec in the past on housing for employees and has provided support for the foundation, including donations for the new pediatric unit.
"We were a natural," he said. "We're very honored they thought of us."
He said Paragon also will make sure Ramirez and Rizo have a turkey to cook for Christmas, if they choose.
"They've had some tough breaks," Crook said. "Our company has been very fortunate. We have grown over 14 years with the Tri-Cities. This is one way we can give back a little bit."
Tears formed in Ramirez's eyes as she talked about being amazed by the generosity toward her family.
They would have found a way to get by, but the help means they'll be able to give their children a warm, safe home sooner than they could have on their own, she said.
"I feel thankful for them helping me, and happy too," she said.
* Anyone wishing to help the Ramirez/Rizo family can call Hutchcraft at 619-0572.
