Help us celebrate our 25 years at Ronald McDonald House Herston
Donate today to support a family like Ethan's in their time of need
This October we’re proud to celebrate the 25th Birthday of our Ronald McDonald House at Herston!
Since opening on Wednesday 25 October 1995, our House has provided essential accommodation and support services for over 32,400 families caring for their seriously ill or injured children.
Help support families like Ethan's
For Ethan Kirkbride’s family, Ronald McDonald House at Herston was a home away from home, where they could be together for his treatment after a devastating car accident left the 17 year old paralysed from the neck down.
The family is from Roma in Outback Queensland, and Ethan’s mum Joanne, dad Darrel, older brother Gary and little brother Cooper, stayed at the House for more than nine months while Ethan received specialist treatment at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. Ethan had been airlifted from his hometown, and spent 12 weeks in intensive care before being transferred to the hospital’s spinal unit.
During Ethan’s extended stay in hospital, Joanne said the most important thing was for his family to be with him. For the first few months, the entire family were at the House, and when Joanne and Darrel had to return to work, Gary stayed with his little brother and would tag team with Joanne back and forth from Roma.
Joanne says without Ronald McDonald House, the family would not have been able to be with Ethan when he needed them most. “Without Ronald McDonald House, we wouldn’t have been able to be with Ethan during that critical time, we simply couldn’t have afforded to stay at a motel for that long. The House was somewhere we could lay our heads at night and see a friendly face in the morning.”
Thousands of families like the Ethan's, have walked through our doors, have unfortunately endured the most heartbreaking of circumstances as they care for their sick or injured child. On top of all the fear and uncertainty comes the practicalities of managing the family when a child is in hospital, often for extended periods of time. Ronald McDonald House Herston has been by their side each step of the way to ease some of their financial and emotional burden.
Over the past 25 years, thanks to the support of our communities, our House is doing what it was designed to do- giving parents like Ethan's a safe, nurturing haven while they cope with the most difficult time in their life.
Please help us celebrate our 25 years at Ronald McDonald House Herston and donate today!
