IF it wasn’t for the Ronald McDonald House, a local family says they aren’t sure what they would have done.
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Julianna Lean, her husband Kane and their 10-year-old son Baxter stayed in the Ronald McDonald House in Newcastle for a week and half earlier this year after their 22-month-old daughter Taleisa was
diagnosed with a rare disorder called congenital neutropenia.
The disorder prevents Taleisa’s body from fighting off bacterial infections.
When Taleisa is sick and her body temperature goes over 38, she has to be admitted to Manning Base Hospital to receive intravenous antibiotics.
The family has had to go to the hospital seven times this year between March and June.
Taleisa was taken to John Hunter in June after she became sick and was required to have a series of injections.
Since then, Taleisa’s condition has stabilised but she still requires ongoing treatment and visits to hospital once a week.
Mr and Mrs Lean describe their stay at the Ronald McDonald House as a “god send.”
“It would have cost us so much in accommodation and Baxter was able to attend school in the hospital which was great,” Mr Lean said.
“As a family we could have our son with us, we could all be together in comfortable surrounding and with great facilities.
“We can’t thank Ronald McDonald House staff enough for all of their support.”
Mrs Lean said they met families in all kinds of different situations.
“And it just makes you realise how many people are affected by something,” she said.
“It just took away the stress of it all.
“If we didn’t have that I’m not sure what we would have done. It would have been very different.”
Ronald McDonald House began its 10th annual Ride for Sick Kids on Monday (August 24) in Inverell.
Forster McDonald’s licencee Hayden Smith is one of the 23 cyclists participating in the Ride for Sick Kids this year.
Mr Smith took part in the first and longest leg of the ride from Inverell to Grafton. He and four of his managers will also be taking part in the Sunshine Coast Marathon on August 31.
Cyclists will stop into Forster tomorrow (Thursday August 28) for a fundraising night at the Laneway Bar on Little Street.
Locals are invited to attend the event which will include entertainment, food, auctions and raffles. All of the money raised from the event will go towards Ronald McDonald Houses in northern NSW.
Tickets are $50 and can be purchased from Noble Realty on Wharf Street, Forster. For more information phone Rhiannon at Noble Realty on 0428 301 088.