The tiny preemie who big-hearted New Yorkers adopted — providing a home away from home for her out-of-state mom while the struggling infant grew stronger — has finally left the hospital.
“I love New Yorkers! Really, they are the reason my daughter is here and we were kept together,” said Shelcie Holbert of North Carolina, who left Mount Sinai West Hospital on Friday with her daughter Rosalie Grace, now a relatively chubby 6 pounds.
Holbert, 23, went into labor 17 weeks early and gave birth in June during what was supposed to be a three-day business trip to the Big Apple for the Kiehl’s cosmetics company.
As her 1-pound, 9-ounce daughter began her stay in the neonatal intensive-care unit, Holbert and her Army vet husband Jacob Wallace, 26, were left to figure out how to remain in an expensive city where they knew no one.
That would quickly change after a chat with another mom whose twins were also in the NICU. After hearing Holbert’s story, Kim Kaplan posted an appeal on the UWS Mommas Facebook group, and fellow moms — and a few dads — stepped forward to help.
One mom turned over an unoccupied apartment near the hospital to the couple, and another had food delivered from the local diner. Others sent gift cards and clothes.
After The Post featured the story in July, scores more stepped up.
Airbnb provided lodging and Buy BuyBaby funded essentials. A GoFundMe page set up by a friend more than doubled to $25,000.
Upper West Side mom Maureen Cavanagh showed The Post article to her husband, “The Flash’’ TV actor Tom Cavanagh, and said “We need to help this girl.”
The actor’s family was going to be in Vancouver during September as Cavanagh filmed his show, so they gave Holbert their apartment for the month.
“It made me happy to be able to help her in this small way, just to give her a place to stay,” Maureen Cavanagh said.
The family even extended their time away so Holbert could continue to occupy the apartment before returning home this week.
“It brings back your faith in humanity,” said Cathy Wallace, Jacob’s mother, of the outpouring of support.
Holbert said that in addition to falling in love with New York, she realized something else during her long days in the NICU — a passion for taking care of others.
She said she now wants to go to school to become a nurse and someday work with premature babies.
“That’s my way that I want to pay it forward,” she said. “Maybe come back here and work because I love everyone here. That would be so awesome to come back.”
