Family Stories

New parents Lou and Garry have been on a rollercoaster ride since the birth of their son, Henry, in September 2021. Born at 24 weeks, during the Covid pandemic, Henry weighed just 560 grams.  

Lou and Garry were at a 22-week routine antenatal appointment at Parkes hospital when they were told they needed to go to Orange hospital immediately to be assessed by an obstetrician. Lou was admitted in Orange that night and Garry was offered a room at Ronald McDonald House Orange so he could stay close to his family. 

“All sorts of things start going through your mind, it’s quite daunting. The Ronald McDonald House Orange staff and volunteers were great to speak to about it. One volunteer’s husband was also born at 24 weeks and he is 70 now. He would have been a miracle baby back then. It was quite uplifting to hear,” said Garry.  

Orange hospital wanted to monitor Lou and put her on bedrest. Luckily, she was able to join Garry at Ronald McDonald House Orange which is on the hospital grounds. 

“They gave us a home and the volunteers made life easy for us. This was during Covid and the volunteers made meals for us so we didn’t have to go to town and risk exposure,” said Garry. 

“It meant that Garry could be in Orange and be that support for me that I needed. It would have been a pricey stay without Ronald McDonald House or Garry would have had to travel for two hours each way. It made the situation less stressful,” said Lou. 

Lou and Garry stayed at Ronald McDonald House Orange for just over two weeks before deciding to travel to Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital as it has a neonatal intensive care unit suitable for premature babies. 

“The staff in Orange went out of their way to assist with travel and transfer arrangements,” said Garry. This included a stay at Ronald McDonald House in Newcastle after Henry was born.

“It’s great to be so close. It’s only 700m from ward to room which is great when you want to be there as soon as possible. The staff have been wonderful, the meals from the heart also contribute to a place where you can feel well rested.” said Lou. 

“It eases financial pressures and the physical toll of having to be a distance away. Just having the support network around who get to know your story and you is so helpful. Everyone in Orange have been great too, they sent care packages and are like an extended family. I can’t speak highly enough of them,” said Garry, 

Henry was born the day after arriving in Newcastle. The doctors didn’t expect him to get through the first week but just over two months later Henry has doubled his birth weight and is developing his own personality. 

“Having a preemie baby is a long journey and we didn’t always know where we were going to end up, but it’s been made a lot easier with Ronald McDonald House and the staff and volunteers. There’s a lot of unknowns and they’ve made life a lot easier for us at a very unsure time,” said Garry. 

Henry is still in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and there is a way to go before he is in the clear, but Lou and Garry are hopeful he will be transferred back to Orange hospital before Christmas, where they again hope to stay at Ronald McDonald House. 

“You wouldn’t expect this is how we were going to bring our baby into the world, it just snowballed with a preemie baby and Covid, one thing after the other. It’s an isolating time but the volunteers and staff at Ronald McDonald House have been really good, we chat and get to know some of the other families and the adult conversation and support as you walk through the kitchen is great,” said Lou.

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in Orange serves 86% of NSW. It is the only dedicated Child and Adolescent Mental health unit in NSW outside of Sydney. For Ronald McDonald House Orange, families with a child in the CAMHS unit represent 20% of our families and over 50% of our room nights.

I noticed my daughter had mental health issues from a young age. I was told there was nothing to worry about, but as her dad, I knew there was something there. 

She started saying she didn’t want to go to school and then I saw the marks on her arm. That’s when our journey with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in Orange started. On her first visit she only stayed a few days, and I was able to stay at Ronald McDonald House Orange.

Initially I was worried about the judgements that might be made because of my daughter’s mental health issues but the house really caters for everyone. Each volunteer introduces themselves and they really go out of their way for you, they are terrific and show you everything including that there were communal fridges and bread and milk. The rooms are always so clean, and the staff and volunteers are so helpful.

My daughter has had multiple stays at the CAMHS unit, and I’ve had multiple visits to Ronald McDonald House Orange and each time the staff take care of everything, even the paperwork has been streamlined. Without the house, I would have had to travel a lot more, pay for accommodation and I wouldn’t have been able to be close to my daughter throughout her stays which would have made a hard situation much harder. The house also gives her a place to have some quiet time, some privacy, even a hot shower away from the unit. 

It must be such a relief for people when they find out the house is there, for people who wonder how they are going to afford a hotel especially. The sheer fact that it’s close to the hospital, it’s well thought out and purpose-built makes everything easier. The wildlife, the grounds, the garden, it’s such a great facility.

We’re back home now but our journey is far from over.