Ronald McDonald House expanding as struggling families face waitlists

Article content

After spending the day watching her toddler hooked to tubes and crying in pain, a hot shower can be Kait Lowe’s salvation. 

Article content

Article content

A shower, a home-cooked meal, an inexpensive place to sleep. 

They are simple yet vital lifelines that Ronald McDonald House Charities offers to families — including hundreds annually from Windsor-Essex — who are forced to leave home for their children’s medical care. 

Article content

But Ronald McDonald House, which is embarking on plans to double its capacity, can only accommodate about 30 per cent of the people who need it in Canada, according to the charity. 

Lowe, her husband and their three-year-old son Sullivan, who suffers from a complicated intestinal affliction called Hirschsprung’s disease, have endured at least nine stays at London Health Sciences Centre. 

There’s always a waitlist for Ronald McDonald House, while hotel and food bills pile up.  

“It’s a lot to see your baby with tubes, in a coma, and intubated,” said Lowe. “Or have them go through painful tests and watch that happen.

“You need a break from the hospital room, just for your mental health. You need a shower. You need access to all these things you don’t have access to when you don’t get into Ronald McDonald House.” 

Ronald McDonald House (RMHC) Southwestern Ontario, which serves families from as far away as Thunder Bay, runs three programs. There is a house in London, a Family Room in the children’s hospital at London Health Sciences Centre, and a house within a hospital at Windsor Regional Hospital.  

Article content

The programs give families a “home environment,” including a place to stay, with the aim of easing financial burdens and providing physical and mental comforts.  

The demand is high.  

“Over the past 10 years we’ve seen the average length of stay double, and we’ve also seen the number of families we serve double,” said Rachel Macaulay, director of development and community relations for RMHC Southwestern Ontario. 

“As a system, we predict we’re serving about 20 to 30 per cent of the need for Ronald McDonald Houses programs and services.” 

Last year, RMHC Southwestern Ontario served 3,600 families, providing more than 15,000 “nights of comfort” and 30,000 meals. The average length of stay is 18 nights, though some families stay for months. 

Since Ronald McDonald House opened inside Windsor Regional Hospital in 2016, about 900 families have spent 12,000 nights there. 

The Windsor House has five private bedrooms with ensuites and one smaller bedroom for naps and shorter stays. 

In 2023, 89 families stayed 1,693 nights at Windsor House. The longest stay of any single family was 87 nights. Another 14 families were turned away because the rooms were full. 

Article content

As of Tuesday, 71 families stayed at Windsor House so far this year.  

There is a smaller demand for Ronald McDonald House in Windsor because fewer specialized health services are offered here. 

“We serve a lot of our Windsor families in London,” said Macaulay. 

Since 2019, the 40-bedroom London House has run at full capacity with 10 to 15 families on the waiting list every day. 

Macaulay said the plan is to expand the London Home to 80 beds as part of a nationwide effort to double capacity. 

So far this year, 200 families from Windsor-Essex have stayed at Ronald McDonald House in London. They stayed an average of 13 nights. Last year, 220 Windsor-Essex families stayed there.  

Thousands more families also visited the charity’s Family Room and Day Programs in London and Windsor. 

The fee for staying at Ronald McDonald House is $10 a night, but no one is turned away for being unable to pay. The charity said its services save families about $500 per night by offering alternatives to expensive hotels and a place to cook meals. 

It also gives caregivers a place of refuge from clinics and hospital rooms where they can relax, have a shower, brew a coffee or take a nap. 

Article content

“When you think about how many of us from Windsor do depend on London and Toronto, Ronald McDonald is huge for us,” said Lowe. “A lifesaver.” 

When they can get in. 

A visit to London Health Sciences Centre in June was the only time in at least nine trips that Lowe’s family got into Ronald McDonald House without waiting several days for a spot to open up.

“It’s really hard to be hours away from the comforts of home and support systems when you have to go far away for your child’s hospital care,” said Lowe. “It’s that much worse when you don’t get into Ronald McDonald because, as a caregiver, you aren’t getting your personal basic needs met.

“They really do a lot to help you. So when you don’t get in, it can be awful.” 

For more information about services, or to donate, go to the Ronald McDonald House (RMHC) Southwestern Ontario website.

[email protected]

Article content