Empowering Our Approach

“Honestly, [my experience at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist] was better than expected,” admits Marija Ringwelski. “It just wasn’t on my radar, and so after that experience, I’ve been very vocal about building awareness of what a great institution it is.” Her family had been attending a specialist on the Upper East Side, dutifully preparing for the arrival of their second child while commuting from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Then the unpredictable struck: Marija’s water broke at 30 weeks, forcing the family to abruptly seek aid from the care teams at NYP Brooklyn Methodist. Though the emergency procedure was a success, Marija’s daughter Bellami would need to spend more time in the hospital’s care. “I was just very moved by the compassion, the skill, the dedication of the care team. I didn’t really know what to expect, but they kind of became a second family.”

Bellami would spend the first two months of her life in NYP Brooklyn Methodist, Marija and her family diligently overseeing her journey as much as possible. “Our family definitely rallied around us, 100 percent. Friends, people checking in on the daily; the hospital staff checking in with me, seeing how I’m doing. … There was a lot of talk about self-care,” she offers. “I didn’t at that point at all think of myself, so that piece of like, ‘Hey, think about yourself too because your baby needs you,’ that was really helpful.” With Bellami in specialized care and needing her own recovery as well, self-care became a pillar of Marija’s life. Greater emphasis was put on activities that restored her wellness and spirit, like long walks, dinners with her husband, and attending therapy. “I had never been to therapy before. I didn’t know what tomorrow was going to bring, and just having a lifeline of a therapist I knew I could contact was helpful—tremendously helpful, can’t put enough value on that.”

Following her daughter’s discharge from the hospital, Marija would learn about the FAC from a member of Bellami’s care team who had been working with her daughter after her NICU stay. After initially volunteering in 2022, Marija spent her early days learning about and immersing herself in the Council’s activities. She would go on to be elected leader in 2024 and boost the FAC’s efforts to broaden both its community presence and on-site impact. “I just wanted a way to give back,” she says. Having volunteered with various organizations in the past, Marija is driven to do good for her community.
 

Supported entirely by volunteers from both the hospital and the neighborhood, the FAC is a powerful example of families coming together for each other. “I am very impressed with the staff that is choosing to be part of the FAC team—it’s an optional thing,” Marija notes. “This is off-hours stuff. They don’t have to be a part of it. They’re not getting paid more for it.” The FAC is keenly focused on improving patient and family experience at the hospital and beyond. “We did a lot last year to help with transportation assistance,” Marija mentions. Last year, the FAC rallied the hospital to get garage vouchers for families visiting the hospital multiple times a day. It also raised funds for MTA cards and gift cards for those who need transportation assistance or help with food insecurity. 

“We did also do a ton of work to procure car seats-and-stroller combos,” Marija proudly notes. “To be discharged from the NICU, you need to pass the car seat test. Some families don’t have that. So we worked on that, and we also made sure the hospital has one dedicated car seat so families who don’t have a car [or] don’t need a car don’t need to buy a car seat just for that test.” Under the guidance of Marija and a newly ratified charter, the FAC is also enhancing its community partnerships. “We work really closely with Park Slope Parents and Susan Fox of that org. In the past year, I think we’ve had a hundred, if not thousands, of baby items donated from Park Slope families to the NICU.” A more reciprocal relationship with the neighborhood is an essential aspect of the FAC’s efforts. “We’re trying to do more community events, not to just raise support monetarily but also raise awareness.”

Today, Bellami is healthy and full of whimsy, having no developmental delays because of arriving prematurely. “Bellami’s perfect,” Marija shares. “She’s very energetic, spunky, but also very caring and intuitive. You can tell she loves life.” Some years away from those fateful days, Marija holds her time with Bellami in the hospital as when she learned to be more inquisitive and see herself as part of the care team. “We’re stronger than we think. Don’t be afraid to be your child’s advocate.” 
 

Transforming the harrowing uncertainty of her experience into a passion for community organizing has been no small feat for Marija, yet she is hopeful and enthusiastic about what the future brings and FAC’s role in NYP Brooklyn Methodist’s continued evolution. “It’s important to give a voice from the parent/caregiver/patient perspective to the hospital to help shape policies and projects, and to make them more equitable and family-centered across different departments. You are that connector to how people are feeling. Maybe you can only attend one event a year, maybe you can only donate $5, maybe you can’t do anything this year but are hoping to be able to the future, [but] whatever you can do really helps the community.”

The Maternal & Child Family Advisory Council provides essential support for the world-class care the campus offers. “We’re making a lot of good impact,” Marija says. “I would like to see us every year consistently growing the membership of volunteers because the more volunteers we have, the more boots on the ground to make more impact and continue the advocacy, awareness, and fundraising.” For Marija, the FAC is a necessary instrument of both advocacy and action, serving to sustain the care we provide while also enriching the community at large. “I am very inspired. We are really trying to support things hospital budgets can’t.”