Excitement turned to worry for parents Amber and Scott when Amber was admitted to hospital during the late stages of her pregnancy - requiring weeks of specialist care in preparation for the premature birth of their twin boys.
With Scott and their five children three hours away in Guyra, the daunting prospect of how they would keep their family together, for what could be months, felt very overwhelming.
Thankfully, the hospital connected Amber with the team at Ronald McDonald House Charities, who understood their needs and were able to secure a suite – large enough for the whole family.
When twin boys Banjo and Baxter were delivered, they were immediately transferred to the NICU and, once recovered, Amber moved into Ronald McDonald House – just a short walk away. This meant she was able to visit the boys at any time, then return to the House and rest without worrying about leaving the hospital grounds. Scott and the kids - Lily (10), Olive (9), Flynn (7), Milla (5), and Fergus (3) - were also able to visit every weekend, helping to keep their beautiful young family together.
“Without Ronald McDonald House, I don’t know how our family would have made it through!”
– Amber, mum of seven, including premmie twins Banjo & Baxter
One month into their 3-month stay, news of the COVID-19 pandemic hit our shores. With the safety and well-being of the families staying at Ronald McDonald House being of utmost importance we needed to act fast and put in place new practices to ensure we continued to protect our vulnerable families.
Visits to the House were minimised to allow only our essential service staff. The convenient meals cooked by volunteers from local businesses in the community that Amber and other families enjoyed had to stop. We needed to provide additional meals for the families so they could focus on what’s important, the needs of their seriously ill children.
With social distancing enforced, the play rooms and outdoor areas which provided endless fun for the five McFarlane children had to close and new stringent cleaning regimes were put in place.
Like many other charities, the cancellation of events has had a devastating impact on our fundraising activities, and your support has never been more critical.
Every dollar counts, donate today to help keep families like the McFarlane’s together
We need your help so families like Amber’s don’t have to go it alone.
You can help many families staying at Ronald McDonald House during their crucial time of need. Please make an urgent donation today to help keep families close. Your generous donation today could help:
- $20 could help provide a meal for a family
- $60 can provide linen for a clean and safe place for families to sleep
- $135 can provide a night’s accommodation for a family.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important for us to show the families of sick kids that we're still here to support them, even if it's at a distance... and we hope you can help.
Make your donation and download your tax receipt immediately. All donations over $2 are tax-deductible.
