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A charity that houses the families of sick children in hospital might have to start turning parents away as demand grows before Christmas.
There has been a 60% increase in families staying at the Ronald McDonald House Charity (RMCH) accommodation.
With only 154 spots across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, RMHCchairperson Ben Rose said they have started having to house families in off-site accommodation.
Rose said the number of families needing support had increased to a point where not all families needing support could be housed.
“The number of families needing support has significantly increased, and we’ve reached a point where we may not be able to accommodate every family that needs our support, as we simply don’t have enough rooms.”
He said this was because of the rapid population growth and improvements in healthcare research, which have led to an increased demand for paediatric health services.
He said the holiday season put a particularly large strain on their charity and came with a high cost.
Rose said they not only house these families, but also help them celebrate the holiday with the juggle of stress and emotional weight of a child in the hospital.
“No family wants to be at a hospital over Christmas, but we do our best to support every eligible family so they can spend their holidays in comfortable accommodation, near their child, with all the basics taken care of,” Rose said.
Vicky Wong’s 11-year-old son Ryan spent Christmas in the hospital last year after his leukaemia relapsed.
The family were hundreds of kilometres away from their Christchurch home.
The Wong family spent their Christmas holiday at the Ronald McDonald House in Auckland after their 11-year-old Ryan's leukaemia relapsed. Photo / Ronald McDonald House Charities
“We thought we’d find a place to stay near the hospital. What we found was a home,” Wong said.
“Instead of cold corridors and loneliness, we found warmth, kindness and care. Staff stopped to encourage Ryan, cheering when he finally came out of isolation.
“In the garden he found bugs, in the old fig tree he found treasure – and in the house, we found something priceless: the gift of being together.”
Rose said the charity is urging the public to donate through its website.
“To keep every family close to their child this Christmas, we need the support of generous Kiwis,” he said.
“A donation means a family will have somewhere to stay when they need it most.”
