A Hadspen family has paid tribute to a major charity after overcoming a stressful three-week stint in hospital.
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Born at 35 weeks, Stella Bryant was two days old when an x-ray uncovered a malrotation of the bowel.
She was quickly taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital as parents Eloise and Nick followed behind in a car.
For the next three weeks, the Bryants stayed at nearby Ronald McDonald House as Stella recovered from surgery.
There they were given free accommodation, parking access, regular meals and support until they received the all-clear to return home.
"The day when we got there, we'd been given all this horrible news at the hospital ... where we were going to stay and what we were going to eat wasn't the first thing on our mind," Mrs Bryant said.
"We're very grateful we were able to access that place.
"It gave us some stability in a very stressful situation - if we'd had to find accommodation for three weeks down there it would have ended up being extremely expensive."
Mrs Bryant said while many families came through the facility during their visit, it had been been a calm place to stay.
"There were a lot of families there going through the same sort of thing with prem babies and babies that were unwell," she said.
"Whether you'd had a good day or a bad day at the hospital, you could check in with each other."
Stella is healthy and has been home for four weeks.
Mrs Bryant said she was grateful that the condition had been picked up.
"She's doing well now," Mrs Bryant said.
"She's feeding well, sleeping well, doing all the right things, slowly getting bigger.
"They don't foresee any future complications after the surgery."
Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria and Tasmania began its Matched Giving Day appeal on Thursday.
All donations made to the fund before 12pm Friday will be matched by the organisation's corporate sponsors.
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