Meet Bridgette
#IRideForBridgette
Seven-year-old Bridgette has been coming to Ronald McDonald House in Newcastle since she was born.
In fact, she’s such a frequent visitor that she refers to it as “The Castle” because it’s her second home.
Bridgette was born with a cleft palate so she and her mum, Jessie, make regular trips from Moree to the John Hunter Children’s Hospital for treatment.
“In a small country town like Moree there is no access to the types of services we need, so our stays in Newcastle are vital.” “We have appointments with the ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists every three months but if there is an emergency our trips can be more frequent,” said Jessie.
Each time they visit, the family know they’ll be greeted by a familiar face at Ronald McDonald House and receive the support they need to help get them through.
Will you get on a bike and join the ride to help families like Bridgette’s?
#IRideForbridgette
#IRideFor Bridgette
“As a single mum, it’s hard to do these trips alone. If we have an emergency, it can feel like our whole world is falling apart. Sometimes you only have half an hour to pack up your life and make a flight.”
“We’ve sometimes found ourselves staying longer than we thought we’d need to due to new tests or another appointment being needed. The Ronald McDonald House team have been amazing and are like our family away from home.”
The staff and volunteers have also been able to help Bridgette and Jessie through the Ronald McDonald House Learning Program.
“I mentioned to one of the staff that Bridgette was behind in school and they told me about the Learning Program and set us up with a tutor.”
“Bridgette studies with her tutor, Debbie, at the Moree library every week. Debbie says that Bridgette’s test scores are much better than they were 12 months ago and we’re all really happy with her progress,” Jessie said.
The sense of community in the house has also been a huge comfort to Jessie and Bridgette. They’ve both made some special friends who they keep in touch with.
Throughout September, community members and businesses will ride together in the Ride for Sick Kids month-long event, to provide crucial funds that will help us to keep our doors open so we can support hundreds of other families, just like Bridgette’s.
“Unless you’ve needed emergency accommodation, you don’t know what it’s like to have a home away from home. I’m so grateful to everyone at Ronald McDonald House for their support,” said Jessie.