Life changes dramatically when your child is diagnosed with a serious or life-threatening illness, yet it is the comfort and security of a normal routine that helps a lot of families cope.
Since opening in 1990, Perth?s Ronald McDonald House (RMH) has provided a home away from home for thousands of rural families with children undergoing treatment at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) in Perth.
Providing as many creature comforts as possible, RMH comprises separate family units, a large communal kitchen, living area, a kids? playroom and a teen hangout, which was long overdue for a makeover what with its tired wall paint, rudimentary board games, broken TV. Enter ToyBox International, which recently purchased two new plasma televisions for the chillout area, allowing teens to play video games, hang out and make new friends during some of the most daunting moments of their young lives.
Mother of three, Noleen Mongoo knows all too well the life-changing impact a serious diagnosis can have on a family. In October 2011 she was forced to uproot her family from Meekatharra, after receiving news that her 14-year-old, Janine, had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.
Within 24 hours of visiting their local GP, Noleen received a call with the news that the Royal Flying Doctors Service was waiting for them, and they must immediately go to PMH.
?We had no time to organise anything and within two hours we were sitting in PMH going through one of the most indescribable moments of our lives.
Luckily for us a room was ready, and within four weeks we had a family unit at RMH. This meant my husband Michael, Michaela (Janine?s twin sister) and brother Brandon could stay with us and help keep our family together.
Adds Rebecca Stott from RMH, ?Thanks to the kind assistance of organisations like ToyBox, we will be able to continue to offer support and services to hundreds of people who will walk through our doors this year alone.?
You can help ToyBox fill grants for children?s hospitals around Australia by subscribing to Box Magazine today. Visit boxmagazine.com.au or call us on 1300 BOX MAG.
Source: http://www.toyboxinternational.org/2012/07/room-for-improvement/
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