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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

For decades, there has been a critical shortage of accommodation for families attending Orange Base Hospital with a sick or injured child.

Orange Base Hospital services a region stretching from Bathurst to Bourke. Orange Base Hospital is one of the major referral hospitals in NSW and as its role in health care has grown, so too has the need for accommodation. Many families from further afield also choose to come to Orange rather than elsewhere for medical services so Ronald McDonald House will also provide accommodation for the families of these children when in hospital.

One of the services provided at Orange Base is a regional tertiary referral service for children and young people aged 0-16 yrs - admitting on average 1300 children per year. Of those 1300 children, 60 per cent come from outside the Orange postcode.

When the new hospital is finished in 2011 Childhood and Adolescent Mental Health will be part of the new Orange Base Hospital and parents and siblings of these children will also need accommodation.

High dependency babies are already being referred to Orange Base Hospital and accommodation will be provided for these families also.

In 2005 a committee was formed to raise funds for the establishment of a Ronald McDonald House in Orange to service the region. Ronald McDonald House - Central West is a not for profit, fully incorporated body.

Since forming, the push for a Ronald McDonald House Central West has received regional support including hundreds of fundraisers large and small, support from McDonald franchisees and corporate donations. There has also been personal donations from a few dollars through to thousands. Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia is also backing the Central West House and has already provided a $200,000 grant. RMH Australia will also provide ongoing financial support when the house is built so that properly trained personnel can be employed and will provide money for maintenance, insurance, worker’s compensation and many other support services.

To date over $1.6 million has been raised. The cost of building the facility is estimated at $2. to $3 million. There is a long way to go.

The Central West Ronald McDonald House will include eight family rooms (families of up to 6 people per room) initially, expanding to 16 with 4 being completely self-contained units. There will be a mixture of communal and private living areas, laundry and kitchen space. There will also be indoor and outdoor recreation areas for inpatients of the hospital and their siblings. Space will also be provided for the Ronald McDonald House Learning Program, which provides support and tutoring for students retuning to school after a long illness.

A wonderful site adjacent to the proposed new hospital has been allocated and the lease completed. A Development application will be submitted in due course. The new hospital is anticipated to be completed in 2011. It is our intention to be ready to support the first young patients in the new hospital.

When parents think of their child’s future, an extended stay in hospital is not part of the plan. A Ronald McDonald House serving the Central West will ease the load at a difficult time.

With your help, we will make it happen.

Joanne Lewis
Chairman
Ronald McDonald House - Central West