NEWS RELEASE
ROYAL VICTORIA REGIONAL HEALTH CENTRE
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McHappy Day is back. On Wednesday, May 11, a portion of proceeds from every menu item sold at all Barrie McDonald’s locations will be shared between Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre’s (RVH) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and Ronald McDonald House Toronto.
There are few scenarios more unthinkable for a family to live through than a seriously ill child, or a baby welcomed too early. In those terrifying moments, quality care and compassion make every bit of difference.
“We know just how important the right care, close to home, can be,” says Pamela Ross, CEO, RVH Foundation. “Our NICU provides exceptional care for some of RVH’s tiniest patients. Community support is critical to our ability to continue to provide that care.”
The highly specialized team providing this life-saving care works under less-than-ideal circumstances as RVH’s NICU is original to the Georgian Drive facility and is long overdue to be modernized and expanded. This space is where our region’s sickest babies are cared for, and it’s a tight space — about 35 square feet for each of its 12 bed spots.
A planned redesign and expansion of the NICU will give families additional space, with more privacy to bond and heal, and updated and additional specialized equipment for resuscitation, ventilation and monitoring. Donations from our generous community partners like McDonald’s will play a vital role in making that expansion possible.
We all hope a child we love never needs treatment for a serious illness and has to travel to Toronto for care, but when that happens, it is a comfort to know that Ronald McDonald House Toronto is there. The house provides a place to call home, to relax and recharge just steps away from Mount Sinai and the Hospital for Sick Children for families with children undergoing treatment. After all, family is the best medicine.
Local McDonald’s Restaurant owners/operators Jennifer and Jason O’Neill, and Trevor McKee, recognize how essential this kind of compassionate care is to families in moments of crisis.
“This McHappy Day, we are thrilled to contribute to the future expansion of RVH’s NICU, and to support Ronald McDonald House Toronto — both of these charities are so important to families,” says Jason O’Neill.
“McHappy Day really is all about community, and children are at the centre of our community,” says McKee. “We’re so grateful to our guests who come out to support this truly meaningful fundraiser.”
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