RM House was ‘amazing’ for our family

I WOULD like to share with you a glimpse into our life as a family that uses the Ronald McDonald House here in Western Australia.

We are aware there are health professionals against a Ronald McDonald House in Dunedin, because it is linked to a fastfood chain. I’d like to invite them to maybe walk in the shoes of a family that has a child who has a lifelong condition, or a diagnosis that keeps them miles away from their house, their father/mother, siblings, their support network for a significant time. I’m talking months and, for some unlucky families, years.

Ronald McDonald House has provided us with a warm, supportive hug when we enter, a smile and a ‘‘Come and sit down and I’ll make you a cup of tea’’. It’s a magical place where instead of one parent having to stay miles away from their precious child and family for long periods of time because they have to stay working to pay accommodation, medical bills, parking at the hospital, their own bills/rent/mortgage, they too can join for support.

It means a beautiful homecooked meal that’s hot, nutritious with a vast selection of vegetables, meat, salads, curries, fruit etc. That you can sit down and eat together as a family and enjoy because you’ve probably spent countless hours in a hospital room, often going without anything decent or using loose change to buy something from those vending machines.

The rooms are bright and cheerful. The house is filled with volunteers our children absolutely adore. It has a classroom that allows children not to be left behind in schooling.

Ronald McDonald House has been amazing for us as a family, allowing us to focus on Charlie’s journey.

It’s absolutely crucial for Dunedin and New Zealand.

Jessica and Ian Brenssell Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

[Abridged] ...................................

BIBLE READING: From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. — Luke 12:48.