Peter Bishop
Soon, Casa Elda Viccari in North Fitzroy will be added which will be converted into 25 units to be used by families of adolescent children not necessarily having treatment at the RCH but at other facilities. There are now 362 Ronald McDonald Houses throughout 92 countries.
RMH provides a place for families of sick children to sleep, eat, wash and obtain some respite from the hospital ward. It also provides a support network to those people as well as art therapy, pet therapy, family dinners and learning programs with catch up tutoring for children and their siblings. Many people who have stayed at RMH continue to support the house in the future after their stay due to the positive impact the house had on their lives during a difficult time.
Peter provided many heart-warming stories of families who stayed there. He noted the assistance of many volunteers and community groups in the beginning and continuing that have added to the highlights of the last 30 years, but above all the highlight would be the courage and persistence of sick children and their families. Over 12,800 families have stayed at RMH on over 34,000 occasions.