Have you ever had a project that you were really passionate about? Something you devoted all your time and energy to? Maybe you have a basement that you are in the process of remodeling. Or maybe you have a school project that seems to be taking forever. Some projects or dreams take longer than others, but no matter how much time has passed, it is always satisfying to complete something.
There was a point in time where Maddie’s Place was an unnamed dream. Many of you have heard the story of how baby Maddie, who was exposed to illegal drugs in the womb, came to the family of Tricia Hughes back in 2004. For quite some time, Tricia was baffled as to why Maddie was struggling so much. She was inconsolable, had major intestinal distress and rarely left Tricia’s arms. Knowing Maddie’s pain made her heart ache for all the other babies struggling with what’s called neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).
Tricia had no idea how to even begin caring for these babies. But she started by taking in as many babies as she could through foster care.
Shaun Cross, current president and CEO at Maddie’s Place, entered the picture around the time that Maddie came to the Hughes’ home. At the time, Shaun was running for Congress against Cathy McMorris Rodgers. So, the first time Shaun had ever heard about infants struggling from substance abuse in the womb, was when his fellow church member, Tricia, asked him to put in a good word to Congress should he be elected.
However, when Shaun wasn’t elected, he continued as a lawyer at Lee & Hayes, and Tricia continued in her care of Maddie and other babies with NAS, dreaming of a world where no babies were affected in that way.
13 years later, in 2017, NAS persisted as the opioid crisis worsened throughout Spokane. Tricia was in turmoil. She realized that there were more babies struggling than she could possibly care for. That’s when her husband suggested the idea of Maddie’s Place, a home where babies like Maddie could receive the same, nurturing care that changed the course of her life.
So, Tricia took the idea and ran with it, assembling a meeting of about thirty community members to discuss the prevalent issue of neonatal abstinence syndrome to see who might be interested in her dream.
Three out of the four members of the current Maddie’s Place leadership team were present at this meeting, including Tricia, Shaun, and Kim Dunham, our director of family advocacy. The three of them clocked hundreds of volunteer hours outside of their regular jobs to get Maddie’s Place up and running.
By March of 2018, Shaun had filed the articles of incorporation to officially call Maddie’s Place a Washington State nonprofit organization.
After a board of directors was formed, discussions circulated around what kind of services Maddie’s Place would offer and how it would function as an organization. After they determined a direction and Maddie’s Place received a tax-exemption status in 2019, they began fundraising.
After that, things seemed to fall into place. In the Fall of 2019, they found a building for sale that looked promising. Vanessa Behan, a crisis nursery in Spokane, was moving to a new location, and their beautiful facility in the Perry District was listed at $1.25 million.
However, right as Shaun and Tricia were about to start their fundraising meetings, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States and shut everything down.
While fundraising during a lockdown seemed impossible, Shaun was determined. In six months, they raised $1 million dollars through Shaun’s zoom calls with key community members.
After borrowing another $30,000, Maddie’s Place closed on the sale, and the facility was all theirs.
However, construction did not start immediately. Bouten Construction estimated that it would cost $1.8 million to remodel, and Shaun and Tricia had to adjust the building plans with the Department of Health. Once the plans were approved, they continued in their efforts to raise the money in 2021 and 2022. Between Shaun’s fundraising efforts and the capital grant Representative Marcus Riccelli secured from the Washington State Legislature, Maddie’s Place had enough money for Phase 1 of the remodel.
Construction finished in the summer of 2022, and Maddie’s Place got their license from the Department of Health as a pediatric transitional care facility that could house up to eight babies.
That fall, Tricia, Shaun, and several other individuals were hired as employees and others were brought on as volunteers. A few days after opening in October, Maddie’s Place received their first call for a baby in need.
It’s been a whirlwind of a journey since opening. We have served 83 babies and 65 parents, and we have up to 79 paid staff. All the blood, sweat and tears has certainly seemed to pay off, and continues to.
Tricia’s dream bloomed into reality. But the project isn’t finished yet.
There are babies suffering from neonatal abstinence syndrome across the entire country. And we won’t stop until we reach as many babies as we possibly can to get them the care they so desperately need.
Hope is on the horizon. Moves are being made in Congress. Individuals are stepping forward, wanting to make change in their cities and states. Who knows, there could be facilities like Maddie’s Place all over the country.
When this tidal wave of change comes, where will you be? Most importantly, what will you do? The choice is yours.
Questions? Suggestions? Email me at emma.jones@maddiesplace.org
This blog was posted on July 12, 2024.