A home away from home

By Madeline Hayman-Reber

For most parents, the birth of a child is an extraordinarily happy time. It’s a time for family and friends to come together and celebrate a new life and a new family member.

However, things can go wrong in pregnancies, and sometimes the baby is delivered earlier than expected and require the expertise of the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit, also known as the NICU.

If you’re a parent living in a rural or remote area, it can be absolutely heartbreaking to have your newborn baby so far away from you, not to mention expensive to travel and stay in a capital city.

Canberra Hospital has one of the best NICU units in Australia, and the staff at Ronald McDonald House provide a free service for parents to stay just one floor away from their child.

Each year, tens to hundreds of parents from all over New South Wales require the services of Canberra’s Ronald McDonald house. Free services are provided to them, including food, emotional support and counselling.

The House holds just one main fundraiser, the Ronald McDonald House Charities Lexus of Canberra Gala Ball. In this one event they must raise almost half a million dollars in order to continue their services for another year.

Madeline Hayman-Reber talks to parents and carers about this important service for families in the Canberra region.