The Callaghan Family
When little baby Evie arrived at just 31 weeks, Ronald McDonald House became the haven where Mum Tamika could be close to her baby when she needed her the most, and keep the rest of her family together.
For 7 weeks while Evie remained in hospital, Tamika was just minutes from her baby’s bedside, at our Ronald McDonald House in Herston. The family were far from their hometown of Rockhampton home, and Tamika was grateful for the support of the staff and volunteers during a very challenging time.
“The staff arranged for adjoining rooms, so my partner Brian and our three older girls could also stay. It meant the world to me to have my family together at this time, and I’m forever grateful to Ronald McDonald House for being so accommodating with the girls, so they too could be close to and bond with their new baby sister.”
Evie is now 2 years old and a little fireball. She still has some conditions associated with being so premature, and her and her family will continue to travel to Brisbane for appointments and stay at Ronald McDonald House. “Thank you Ronald McDonald House, we wouldn’t have made it without you.”
The Green Family
Riley Green’s parents, after trying to conceive for seven years, found out at a 20-week pregnancy scan that she had an abnormality in her heart. Riley needed open-heart surgery (OHS) two weeks after she was born, and at nine weeks a cardiac arrest led to more surgery. Riley’s parents, Samara and Jeff, were able to remain by her side, staying in the Ronald McDonald House inside the Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Samara said: “Ronald McDonald House is just one level of stress taken off your plate. The accommodation is beyond valuable. If we hadn’t been able to stay at Ronald McDonald House, we would have depleted our small amount of savings and stayed in a hotel close by or slept in the car.”
Today Riley is doing well. She does have a leaky aorta valve which will need to be closely monitored and will require OHS again in the future. And she has her brain injury which they don’t know how that will affect her until she’s older, but so far she’s hitting milestones.
“We will be forever grateful to Ronald McDonald House Charities and will be donating to this cause to be able to help out other families going through the same thing,” said Samara.
The Willis Family
For some regional Queenslanders, regular access to hospital care is just not possible. Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) North Australia is there to support families from the Northern Territory and regional Queensland, families like Emma and Dan Willis.
Emma and Dan were living on the family’s cattle farm, 60km out of Georgetown and a 6-hour drive to the closest major hospital. Soon after they were married, the couple welcomed little Patrick, or ‘Patty’ as he is affectionately called. “He was just a perfect, a beautiful, healthy little boy,” Emma gushed.
When Patty was five-months-old, he developed a temperature that worsened overnight and was rushed to hospital where he had a seizure and was placed in an induced coma. Patrick had the HSV1 virus, or ‘cold sore virus’, which can be deadly in children as young as Patrick. The virus is often innocently and unknowingly passed on through loving kisses, and it was attacking Patrick’s brain.
Patrick was in hospital for 82 days receiving specialised care, and thanks to RMHC his family were able to be right by his side despite being hundreds of kilometers from home. “Honestly, it was such a weight off. Your world’s falling apart in front of you and they (RMHC) have you covered, it’s mind-blowing stuff”.
With ongoing care and treatment, Patrick has started to turn a corner and his family are seeing improvements, with their little boy becoming vocal and smiling again.
The Hartwig Family
Enosh Hartwig’s story is long and complex. It has seen him travel from Gympie with his mother, Sonia, two days a month for the last five years to be treated for his auto-immune disease which caused encephalitis and encephalopathy. Seeking a diagnosis has been very illusive as Enosh condition is rare. Their team of specialists include Neurology, Respiratory, Rheumatology, Gastroenterology, Cardiology, Endocrine, Pediatrics, and Genetics who all work together to support Enosh’s treatment.
Sonia is eternally grateful to Ronald McDonald House Charities and has estimated that without their help she would have spent $72,000 on accommodation.
“We are forever grateful to Ronald McDonald House for the ongoing services they have provided our family. Since the opening of the South Brisbane House in 2016, we have stayed over 4000 nights. The last few years have been challenging, with over 20,000km travelled for Enosh’s treatment and our continued stays in Brisbane would not be possible without the support of Ronald McDonald House.”
"It’s here that we have been able to keep our family close, and continue a sense of normal life, where we can cook family meals and enjoy downtime together,” said Sonia.
