Abby Melito, who goes to school at Hollidaysburg Senior High School, suffers from scoliosis and is bound to a wheelchair. She originally was slated to have just one spinal fusion surgery to help straighten the S-curvature of her spine, but ended up needing three surgeries not too long ago at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
The Melito family was fortunate to be able to call the Ronald McDonald House in Hershey home for short stretches during Abby’s surgeries.
“Abby was only supposed to have one surgery, but ended up having three surgeries,” explained Abby’s dad, Shawn, who arrived at the event shortly before lunch with his wife, Sarah, and their two daughters, Abby and Isabelle. “The Ronald McDonald House was awesome. It had comfortable rooms, nice and clean.”
Shawn, also part of the golf outing coordinating committee, shared Abby’s story as he addressed nearly 150 golfers during lunch on a warm and sunny day at Scotch Valley Country Club in Hollidaysburg, PA at the 25th Annual Ronald McDonald House Charities Mid-Penn Region Golf Outing on June 12.
This year’s RMHC Mid-Penn Region Golf Outing raised an event-best $39,000.
Abby’s mom, Sarah, also shared her perspective on staying at the house in Hershey.
“Abby stayed in the house the night before her surgeries,” Sarah Melito said. “The house was really nice because it was so close to the hospital. When we had a last-minute request to use the Ronald McDonald House the day before (Abby’s second surgery), they said ‘give us five minutes’ and they had the room ready.”
Abby said she would “leave the talking up to mom and dad” during lunch at the RMHC golf outing, but did agree to help draw the names of the raffle prize winners.