his recent visit to Ronald McDonald House in Orange
become a ‘home away from home’ for a
number of families with sick kids from Cobar
and surrounding districts.
The facility is a place for families to stay as
they seek specialist and often life saving care
for their sick child.
Since Ronald McDonald House Charities
(RMHC) opened its doors in Orange in 2015,
14 families from Cobar have stayed at the
house which is just a short walk from Orange
Hospital.
The charity reports the two top areas of demand
which continue to grow, are for child
and adolescent mental health (the specialist
child and adolescent mental health unit is the
only one outside Sydney) and also for high risk
pregnancies.
Member for Barwon Roy Butler recently
visited the charity to see first hand the work
RMHC does.
“The set up of the house – the communal
areas and the rooms is absolutely fantastic,”
Mr Butler reported.
“It is good to see for myself that families
from Cobar and the whole electorate of Barwon
have somewhere like this to stay. The fact
they don’t have to pay for their accommodation
makes a huge difference for families who
just couldn’t afford to pay,” he said.
Executive Officer of RMHC Orange Rebecca
Walsh, said the house provides free accommodation
and a range of services, including complimentary
breakfasts for families, grocery
items for self-catering, complimentary toiletries
and emergency meals.
Ms Walsh said gifts of new toys, books and
activities, along with a quilt for their bed in
hospital are also presented to each child on
their visit.
During his tour Mr Butler met and talked
with several of the volunteers who are part of a
team who have turned over almost 70,000 volunteer
hours at the house, working on a 365
day, 24 hour a day roster.
“These volunteers do an incredible job and
they are to be congratulated for their dedication,”
Mr Butler said.
He said for families living in rural Australia,
specialist services are being centralised to cities
such as Orange, which means families have
to travel to seek specialist care for their child.
Ms Walsh said families from 31 towns and
villages in Mr Butler’s electorate have already
stayed at the house.
RMHC Orange relies heavily on fund-raising
to provide services for families.
Ms Walsh said they have had major challenges
with fundraising over the past year as
many events had to be cancelled during the
Covid pandemic.
“Our next big fundraiser, which we are promoting
throughout the central and far west, is
Wear Red Day later this month.
“Participants are asked to wear an item of red
clothing and donate a gold coin to the house in
Orange,” she said.
