RMHC supports children and families by delivering programs and services in more than 45 countries.
Last year, RMHC impacted the lives of more than 7.1 million children and their families around the world.
Providing accommodation for the families of the most seriously ill children was a key element of the plans for the new hospital from its very inception.
That is why the HSE and the Hospital Development Board have allocated a prime central location for a new Ronald McDonald House at the heart of the new hospital campus.
Ronald McDonald House Charity is the world’s leading organisation specialising in providing dedicated accommodation for the families of seriously ill children.
Since the first House opened in 1974, RMHC has worked tirelessly with medical professionals across the world to refine and perfect the model of best care for families supporting sick children in hospital.
Today there are in excess of 379 Ronald McDonald Houses worldwide, supporting families in 90% of the world’s leading children’s hospitals. Together they form an extraordinary resource of information, expertise, research and innovation – ensuring that each Ronald McDonald House can provide the very best possible support to the families of critically ill children.
There is no more powerful medicine in the world than the love of a parent for their child.
So when a child is critically ill and clinging to life in hospital it is essential that their parents and family can be at their side to provide them with the constant love and support they need.
But those exhausted parents and traumatised families also need our care and support.
When a mother spends every day clinging to her infant baby’s hand in ICU, the basic comforts of a home-cooked meal and a good night’s sleep are a priceless lifeline. For a parent caring for a seriously ill child for months on end, having a place to shower or wash their clothes can be the most precious gift in the world.
Ronald McDonald House provides families facing the most unimaginable ordeal with the vital support and assistance they need. Our experienced staff and dedicated volunteers work around the clock to ensure that all our families’ needs are met – leaving them free to focus all of the attention on caring for their sick child and supporting each other.
The truly unique thing about the Ronald McDonald House is the extraordinary bond that forms between the families that stay here. Every day, they offer each other the kind of strength and solidarity that can only come from those who are travelling the same hard and lonely road.
That is the real miracle of the Ronald McDonald House.
