Case studies
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We are eternally grateful to Ronald McDonald House Charities
Kit’s son, Ekam, had to have a bone marrow transplant when he was 6 years old - a difficult and traumatic operation that shook the whole family. Read more about how the family coped with having a child in hospital for more than 3 months.
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We were given the best Christmas present we could have wished for
Keen supporters of our Charity and of our Birmingham House, Lucy and Ben Doughty share their experience and emotional journey. Read their moving story of overcoming fear, staying strong and receiving unexpected support from our House.
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We were enormously touched to find gifts in our room
Thomas is almost a year old now and he lives in Wallingford, Oxfordshire with his mum Emma, dad Simon and his older sister, 3 year-old Sophie. But life as a family of four started in very uncertain and difficult circumstances.
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Staying at the House kept us sane for our son’s liver transplant
Jessica and Clive Barzillia talk about their experience at the Birmingham House while their son, Isaac, was preparing for a liver transplant. They were very lucky to find a donor in a matter of days, but their worries were far from over.
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The House helped us bond with our son
When Jaiden was born 12 weeks premature, Rachel and her partner were devastated. As a young family, nothing could have prepared them for three months in hospital at their baby’s bed side. Luckily, a Ronald McDonald House was near…
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13-year old JJ and his family raise over £15,000 for our House in Oxford
When doctors did not have answers regarding JJ’s illness, the Hine family found comfort in knowing that they can stay near the hospital and be close to JJ, no matter how long it took specialists to establish what was wrong with their boy. They became great supporters of RMHC and continuously raised money for our House in Oxford.
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Read the story of the little girl who started it all. Kim Hill was a three year old girl battling leukemia. Her parents had to sleep in a chair in her hospital room to stay near to her. Her dad Fred Hill, a player for the Philadelphia Eagles, went about setting up the very first Ronald McDonald House in 1974 so other families didn’t have to go through the struggle of being close by to support your child in hospital.
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Family stay strong after more than 85 weeks at Ronald McDonald House Camberwell whilst their baby Amana is in hospital
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100th family to stay at Ronald McDonald House Arrowe Park
Baby Alfie was born 9 weeks premature and immediately placed in an incubator in the special cardiac unit at Arrowe Park. Parents, Brian and Liz, didn’t want to leave Alfie alone, so the Ronald McDonald House, just a two minutes walk from the hospital, was a God-send for the family.
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Mollie runs a mile to support our House in Oxford
Mollie was diagnosed with scaphocephaly. This meant she was at risk of suffering from intracranial pressure, which could lead to seizures, brain damage or even death. She had to go for several appointments at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford which was 120 miles away from home, so the family stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Oxford each time, and stayed there for longer when they decided to go ahead with the operation.
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Family of five moves in with us at Camberwell
Baby Archer was born by caesarean in Margate Hospital in April 2009. His Mum, Dad and three sisters moved from their home in Canterbury into the Ronald McDonald House in Camberwell, London.
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Brighton House provides a port in the storm for parents of premature triplets
When first-time mum Delia Westgate gave birth to triplets 14 weeks early, she was devastated to hear all three boys were very ill.
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Boy of seven helps raise money for Camberwell House where he stayed
Sam Rowlands was just six when his sister Alice was born with a rare liver condition. When Alice was rushed from Norfolk to King’s College, London - 120 miles away - for treatment, Sam moved in to the Ronald McDonald House next door with mum and dad, Miranda and Paul.