THE mum of a little boy with complex heart conditions says she is "thrilled" that Ronald McDonald House at Alder Hey is having a £2 million refurbishment as it is a ‘lifeline to families in need’.
Jake Cathcart from Moss Bank was born in 2015 with a rare and undiagnosed heart condition, leading him to suffer two cardiac arrests and a respiratory arrest.
With Jake having ongoing treatment since then, his family has had to use Ronald McDonald House which offers accommodation to parents and families of the sickest children having treatment at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
So his mum Claire Cathcart, who is the co-founder of Team 1C, a charity formed by parents of children with cardiac issues who met at the hospital - which gives back to hospitals and charities – including Ronald McDonald House, said the refurbishment is something very close to her heart.
Ronald McDonald House Charities UK has announced a multi-million-pound refurbishment of its 83-bedroom House which provides free accommodation for families of children being treated at Alder Hey.
Families staying in the House live, on average, 54 miles away; the House keeps the family unit together, close to their child in hospital, and helps them maintain a degree of normal family life.
Claire said: “When you have a child in hospital in the worst situations imaginable, the last thing you need, especially for those who live nowhere near the hospital, is to be far away from a bed and facilities to rest and get clean.
“Ronald McDonald house has been there on the scariest days of Jake’s life, and other members of Team 1C have used it more than us and it’s been a special place to us all.
“That being said, it’s amazing that a long overdue refurbishment is taking place to make this important and special place even more of a home from home for those having the worst time and wanting to be close to their poorly kids.
“Some people travel from the Isle of Man and there are no hotels nearby, the last thing you need after getting a plane or a ferry to get treatment for your child is to be worrying about where you can get a shower and sleep for a few hours.
“We have a close relationship with the charity and sponsor a apartment there and have seen the plans and they will make a huge difference to families like ours, as around 80 per cent of those staying at the Ronald McDonald House are parents of cardiac patients.
“I’m thrilled this is happening for them.”
The refurbishment will include:
- A complete refit of all bedrooms and ensuite bathroom replacements
- Adding family kitchens to each floor
- • The creation of interconnecting rooms for larger / blended families
- Improving the dayroom facilities to allow for more families to make use of the house and offer complementary services such as hairdressing, yoga and family support
- A relandscaped garden with new, dedicated space for families to relax and children to play
The work, which will begin early next year, will take place in two phases, allowing the House to remain partly operational throughout.
It will bring the facility up to the high-quality standards of Ronald McDonald House Charities UK’s nationwide ‘home away from home’ accommodation and is due to be complete in late 2025.
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