Ronald McDonald House is like a second home for seven-year-old Bridgette Harris-Livet, who has been staying at the Newcastle facility ever since she was born.
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In fact, the Moree girl is such a frequent visitor that she refers to it as 'the castle'.
"It is her second home," Bridgette's grandmother Julie Harris said.
"The team there are just like a second family; they're amazing."
Bridgette, who will be eight in a couple of weeks, was born with a cleft palate so she and her mum, Jessie Harris, make regular trips from Moree to the John Hunter Children's Hospital for treatment.
"In a small country town like Moree there is no access to the types of services we need, so our stays in Newcastle are vital," Jessie said.
"We have appointments with the ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists every three months but if there is an emergency our trips can be more frequent."
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Bridgette and Jessie were in Newcastle again this week, having had to make fortnightly trips recently.
Hopefully, Jessie said, that was their last visit until February.
"It was just a check-up this time, but when we go back we'll be planning surgeries again," Jessie said.
"She's been having surgeries since she was a baby and they'll continue until her late 20s I'd say."
But, Jessie said Ronald McDonald House has made their regular trips to Newcastle that little bit easier.
Each time they visit, the family know they'll be greeted by a familiar face at Ronald McDonald House and receive the support they need to help get them through.
"They have been a very big support network," she said.
"As a single mum, it's hard to do these trips alone. I go a lot on my own without my mum and dad and we can get some pretty bad news but they [team at Ronald McDonald House] are always there to be an ear and a shoulder.
"If we have an emergency, it can feel like our whole world is falling apart. Sometimes you only have half an hour to pack up your life and make a flight.
"We've sometimes found ourselves staying longer than we thought we'd need to due to new tests or another appointment being needed.
"The Ronald McDonald House team have been amazing and are like our family away from home."
Not only do the staff and volunteers provide emotional support to families like Jessie and Bridgette, but they've also helped Bridgette through the Ronald McDonald House Learning Program.
"I mentioned to one of the staff that Bridgette was behind in school and they told me about the Learning Program and set us up with a tutor," Jessie said.
"Bridgette studies with her tutor, Debbie, at the Moree library every week.
"Debbie says that Bridgette's test scores are much better than they were 12 months ago and we're all really happy with her progress."
The sense of community in the house has also been a huge comfort to Jessie and Bridgette.
"When you go there, they have volunteers who cook you tea," Julie said.
"You could be at hospital all day and are tired, but you can come back and they've cooked you a meal."
Bridgette and Jessie have also made some special friends who they keep in touch with.
Jessie encourages everyone to support McHappy Day on Saturday, November 14, to help seriously ill children and their families who rely on Ronald McDonald House Charities.
"You just never know when you're going to need Ronald McDonald House," she said.
"They rely a lot of donations and sponsorship, so this year has been very tough with COVID. They haven't been able to do their normal charity events.
"You go down there and think your life is bad, but you go and talk to others and realise there are lots of people who are worse off."
McHappy Day is the largest annual fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities in Australia, raising much-needed funds that help keep families together and provide support while their ill or injured child is undergoing treatment.
You can support McHappy Day by:
- Picking-up a pair of $5 Silly Socks, or Helping Hands for $2, $10 or $50 from your local Macca's,
- Buying a Big Mac on McHappy Day (Saturday, November 14), with $2 from every Big Mac sold going directly to RMHC,
- Making a donation online by visiting www.rmhc.org.au/give