Charity Meets Design: Ronald McDonald House Charities
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The only thing more disheartening than having an unhealthy child is not being able to stay close to them while they go through treatments. It has been proven that when a child is loved, nurtured and surrounded by their family, they are more likely to heal and complete treatments successfully. Thanks to Ronald McDonald House Charities, families are able to live close to their children in comfort and without the worry of finances. Their main charity, Ronald McDonald House, focuses on providing families with a “home away from home,” where everyone can stay together while their child is hospitalized in a home built and furnished through volunteer contributions.
But their charitable giving doesn’t end there. Ronald McDonald House Charities also has Ronald McDonald Family Room, where they provide a comforting area right in the hospital, only steps away from the unit where their child is receiving treatment. RMHC makes sure that the space looks like a true family room, without the saddening effects of a hospital, and can include things like shower facilities, sleeping rooms, internet access and even a personal kitchen. Going even further, RMHC has created the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, a clinic on wheels that comes right to the child’s own neighborhood. There are currently 50 of these care mobiles in nine different countries and within them they offer treatment services, screenings, and even health education and nutritional care.
Their most current project is located in Germany and is being created to help the families with children at the Altona Children’s Hospital receiving life-saving treatments. Twelve architectural firms from around the globe have come together to create the house, each responsible for a certain space. Sarah Stanley, Senior Account Executive at RMHC says, “It’s a wonderful example of collaboration between 12 internationally-renowned architectural firms who are coming together to help design a space that meets the unique emotional and physical needs of families dealing with the trauma of having a sick child.” Their combined effort will create a unique house with 11 rooms and serve about 450 families a year. The house is expected to be completed this coming summer.