Madison, Wis. – St. Mary’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House Charities are teaming up to bring Wisconsin’s first Ronald McDonald Family Room to the Madison area. The Ronald McDonald Family Room will be constructed on the third floor of St. Mary’s and is designed as a place of respite for families with children just steps away in the hospital’s pediatrics and neonatal intensive care units.
“The Family Room will complement the current Ronald McDonald House in Madison which serves families of hospitalized children who live outside a 50-mile radius. The Family Room at St. Mary’s will be open to children’s families regardless of how far they are from home,” says Kevin Huddleston, Executive Director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Madison.
Among the largest in the country, the Family Room at St. Mary’s will feature four sleep rooms, each with a private bathroom and shower; computers along with free wireless internet; laundry facilities; a dining area; as well as a kitchen stocked with complimentary food and beverages. In addition, families will be able to retreat to a quiet room for privacy, recharge electronics, or ask the volunteer on hand for assistance. All of these amenities – including use of the sleeping rooms – are provided at no cost to the family.
“The Family Room will really serve as a respite center for families faced with some of the most difficult times of their lives,” says Dr. Frank Byrne, President of St. Mary’s Hospital. “I’ve seen that pained look on a mom or dad’s face too often when I was in practice. So to be able to provide an area for them to catch a quick nap, grab a bite to eat or have a private moment away from the ‘medical’ environment – and still be just steps away from their very sick child – will make a world of difference.”
Construction on the Ronald McDonald Family Room in St. Mary’s Hospital is likely to begin in 2012 and expected to take 5 months to complete. The total cost of the project is $1 million. To make a gift, call St. Mary’s Foundation at 608-258-5600 or Ronald McDonald House Charities at 608-232-4660.
Click here to see more images of the Ronald McDonald Family Room at St. Mary's.
Ronald McDonald Family Room at a Glance
- The Family Room is a complement to the Ronald McDonald House in Madison
- Serves families who have the most critical needs “when two miles is too far” to be away from their child
- Will help families from Madison as well as other areas of South Central Wisconsin
- Not meant for long-term stay
- Feels more like a home than a hospital
- Supervised by volunteers
- Supported by local donors
Family Room Fast Facts
- First of its kind in Wisconsin
- Among the largest in the country
- Located on the third floor of St. Mary’s Hospital
- 3,500 sq ft of space including – 4 sleep rooms each with a private bathroom and shower; a living area complete with television, computers, wireless internet; a kitchen with complimentary food and beverages; quiet room for private moments; and laundry facilities.
- Total cost: $1 million to be raised with support from the community before construction begins