CHERI Murphy and Jessica Praag know just how important it is for Ararat residents to drop into McDonald’s in support of McHappy Day.
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Both Ararat mothers have to stay at Ronald McDonald House on a regular basis, and it is this charity that benefits from all funds raised tomorrow.
Mrs Murphy and Ms Praag are extremely grateful for Ronald McDonald House Charities and the services they provide, although it was definitely something they never expected to need.
Mrs Murphy has a baby son, named Tyga, who was born eight weeks ago with two heart conditions known as Tetralogy of Fallot (or TOF) and Double outlet right ventricle (DORV), a rare congenital heart defect.
“Put it this way, the week he was born we had no money to be able to afford stay. If it hadn’t have been for Ronald McDonald House, we would have been knackered,” Mrs Murphy said.
“To be able to walk in with just the clothes off our backs, and to get food provided when needed was just amazing.”
Meanwhile, McHappy Day continue to provide programs and services for families like the Sladdin family, who have also been regular visitors to Ronald McDonald House, Parkville with their children Tayla and Thomas.
Tayla, 5, and Thomas, 3, both have Cystic Fibrosis and have spent a lot of time at The Royal Children’s Hospital over the years.
The pair’s mother, Jessica Praag, said her family has been fortunate to have the services available to them.
“It’s nice to be able to stay there for a few days at a time,” Ms Praag said.
“We were able to get emergency accommodation after surgery. I really encourage everyone to support McHappy Day, because you never know when you might need it (Ronald McDonald charity).
“We’re very lucky to have Ronald McDonald House.”
There are 16 Ronald McDonald Houses nationally, which have collectively provided over 96,000 families with over 2.7 million nights of accommodation in since 1981.
Funds raised from McHappy Day will go towards supporting Ronald McDonald Houses, Ronald McDonald Family Rooms, Ronald McDonald Family Retreats and the Ronald McDonald Learning Program.
Supporting McHappy Day is easy – people can purchase a Helping Hand for just $1 or a pair of Ronald Socks for $3 until this Sunday, with all proceeds going directly to Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Customers can also drop into the Ararat McDonald’s restaurant tomorrow to make a donation or buy a Big Mac, with $2 from every burger going to the cause.
For those who cannot make it tomorrow, donations can also be made via the website www.rmhc.org.au/mchappyday.