The first Belgian Ronald McDonald House has officially been inaugurated on the campus of the UZ Brussels hospital in the Brussels municipality in Jette.
From December, ten families will be able to stay with their sick child during their period of hospitalisation. The Ronald McDonald House is fully equipped and has ten guest rooms with private bathrooms. The living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room, library, play area and two patios are common areas, reports L'Avenir.
The aim of the House is to ensure that the sick children, together with their relatives, can escape from the medical environment for a while. A house manager and a group of volunteers make sure that everything runs smoothly.
"When a child is hospitalized, often far away from home, it is important for parents to still be able to spend family time with them. Now, they can do that in a warm place, just a minute and a half from the UZ hospital," said François Bouillon, chairman of the Ronald McDonald Children's Fund, reports Bruzz.
Parents who want their child to stay in the Ronald McDonald house can contact the department where their children have been admitted. The hospital will then inform them if a room is available. It is not possible to make a reservation, but the children are allowed to stay there as long as they are hospitalised. If the house is full, a waiting list will be used.
Parents will have to pay €15 a day for their stay. The actual costs are higher, but most of them will be covered by donations.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
