Some of you might have seen a tv ad done by Ronald McDonald House@NUH recently and spotted someone familiar *wink* 

For those who have no idea what I'm referring to, here is the ad:





Many friends asked how I got approached to participate in the ad. My reply? Cos the people found me pretty, friendly, and talks a lot, so they approached me lor. 

Actually, it started when K was hospitalised in April this year. Doctors advised hubby and I to be around in the hospital and be mentally prepared for the worst as K's health went downhill with a severe bout of pneumonia. The 5 long weeks of hospital stay at the paediatric ICU at NUH would have been more energy-draining and stressful but by God's grace, we were *allocated a room at the newly opened Ronald McDonald House just a corridor away from the paediatric ICU. This was excellent news to us, as it meant that we were able to stay close to K and still be able to rest well. Sleeping on a chair in the ward is definitely not a very comfortable option for most of us. 

When we first stepped into the House for a quick tour of the place, we were
greeted by a friendly, warm lady who patiently brought us around. The House is well-furnished with a kitchen, laundry area for washing clothes, and it even has a small and cosy reading area. 

Photo by RMH@NUH

There are four bedrooms, and each room is also equipped with proper bathroom facilities, a television and a comfortable bed. I remember after the tour, hubby nervously asked, "Er... how much for this room?". The lady chuckled and replied with a big smile "It's free!". 

Photo by RMH@NUH

So, we stayed in this "hotel room" (as what my older two named it) for 5 weeks. Hubby and I alternated our stay where one of us would be at home with the older ones, and the other would be in the hospital with K. 

What impresses me most is that the House functions more than just a house. It  provided the house guests with the nolmacy of home while we worry and attend to our sick child. Other than the facilities the House offers for our physical comfort, there is always a variety of beverages, soft drinks, and fruit bars we can help ourselves to when we need an extra boost of energy. Occasionally, a kind soul would bake some cookies and leave them on the dining table for the house guests. I also had a chance to eat together with the other house guests and RMH staff. This is part of the House's Family Meal program to allow house guests to enjoy a proper meal and interact with one another as we usually only have a chance to say hi and bye with everyone so busy with their sick ones. 




The caring staff and volunteers also made the place a welcoming home for us during our stay. Each time I returned to the House, someone (a RMHC staff or volunteer) was always there to greet me with a smile and ask about my day. Ch and L were allowed to be in the House during the weekends (under an adult's supervision) and they loved the attention and gifts given by the volunteers.




Through the stay, my family built a bond with RMH@NUH. Every time I pass by the House, I would still ring the doorbell and say hi to the staff I recognise. The experience also allowed me to share with Ch and L about volunteering. I hope they can remember the love the House has given to us, and hopefully one day, they will want to volunteer their time there. 


*The RMH@NUH does have a selection criteria based on the severity of the child's sickness. You may want to check with the NUH doctors or RMH staff to know more.


By the way, other than managing the RMH@NUH, Ronald McDonald House Charities Singapore (RMHC Singapore) is also involved in other charitable programs. RMHC gets its donations from sponsors like McDonald's and the general public AND you can do your part to donate to this good cause through the RMHC donation boxes found at all McDonald's restaurants. You can also buy a McDonald's Happy Meal and five cents from each meal sold goes to the charity (well, I don't really approve of fast food meals for children, but indulging in it once a while does make a child very happy.). You may wonder, why five cents only? Think of the number of Happy Meals each participating McDonald's outlet sells each day, multiply by the number of days in a month, then by the number of outlets in Singapore... it should reach quite a big sum, isn't it?






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