Meet Cohen and Cooper
The two brothers came into the world prematurely and were each diagnosed with life-threatening respiratory and swallowing complications. The usual emotional journey of welcoming a child into the world was taken into overdrive for parents Emily and Ben, who watched both Cohen and Cooper fight for the lives they’d only just begun.
And that fight has been and will continue to be a long one.
“Ronald McDonald House provides families with a safe space to go to for both happy moments and the sad ones. Over the past five years, we’ve met so many people and made lifelong friends with volunteers, staff and other families.”
After an initial 6-month stay at our Newcastle House after Cohen was first born, the family have been back and forward between their own home which is seven hours away and their second home with us. With regular visits to John Hunter Children’s Hospital and countless nights away from home and work now a regular occurrence for the family, the added stress of a costly hotel was simply not viable.
The house has provided a safe space and an escape from the constant beeping and stress of the wards.
Every year hundreds of families just like Cohen and Cooper's are forced to travel far from home for medical treatment for their sick or injured child.
Your monthly donation can help provide these families with a warm bed, home-cooked meals, and a comforting community of support; and sends a powerful message to families that you are with them every step of their journey.
Why we need your regular support
As demand for our support services continues to grow, we need your support to ensure that no family is turned away from the care they require. We want to ensure every family who requires it, has a place to call home for as long as they need.
Your ongoing support also ensures that these families can have access to wraparound support services to manage life with family illness, such as support staff to lean on, family spaces within the hospital to relax and play, tailored learning to support children with their education and places to reconnect, recharge and be together as a family.
How you can help
Becoming part of the RMHC NNSW Regular Giving family, means you recognise the importance of helping families in their time of need. Your ongoing donations ensure the long term sustainability of the services we provide, and you can sleep well knowing you’ve provided the funds to ensure that close to the hospital, another northern NSW family can sleep well close to their child’s bedside.
