News

| July 05, 2023

Nationals MPs cook for families staying at Ronald McDonald House

The Victorian Nationals MPs recently volunteered to cook dinner for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Melbourne’s North Fitzroy.

Ronald McDonald Houses in Victoria and Tasmania support more than 2000 families of seriously ill children, as well as high-risk pregnancies requiring medical treatment, predominantly from regional and rural areas.

Member for Lowan and Deputy Leader of the Nationals Emma Kealy said it was a really fun way to give families a break and support them while they’re doing their best to care for their child in hospital, waiting for treatment or even waiting for a new baby to join their family.

That was exactly the case for lovely Horsham couple, Janelle and Kane, who were patiently waiting for baby number three to arrive. And since the Nationals visit, their bundle of joy has safely arrived.

“Cooking dinner for families from all Victoria who are away from their home and support networks for extended periods in stressful situations was a joy.

“It was wonderful to play a small part in supporting families accessing the service - providing a meal, and sitting around the dining table, listen to and understand their personal stories was humbling.”

Ronald McDonald House provides a warm and supportive home-away-from-home for the whole family of seriously ill children. It’s not just a comfortable place to stay, but gives families peace of mind knowing they can stay together and close to their child’s hospital.

RMCDH is only available to families that live more than 100km from Melbourne, and I know has been an amazing support for many local families in Lowan.

While connected to McDonalds, Ronald McDonald House services are reliant on significant external funding, including Government grants and donations from generous members of the community to keep the service operating.

“It is difficult to understand the true financial, emotional, and mental cost of caring for a child who need to undergo treatment at a hospital that is far from home,” Ms Kealy said.

“The road ahead for their family often means countless days navigating the hospital system but thanks to the Ronald McDonald Houses, some of the stress is alleviated.

“There are many fabulous volunteer opportunities at RMHC that can be undertaken to help support seriously ill children and their families.

“I encourage anyone who would like to get involved like The Nationals did to contact Victoria/Tasmania volunteering team at [email protected].”