In 2023, Hannah and Cayden – a family living in St Helens, Tasmania – were delighted to discover they were having another baby, and their child Eli was excited to become a big brother. That joy was shaken when Hannah went for her routine 20-week scan in Launceston. The doctors couldn’t identify part of their baby’s heart.
“We went in thinking, ‘I’m sure it’s nothing’.”
In Hobart, what is ordinarily a 20-minute scan took 2 hours. Then, they were referred to Melbourne.
With no time to spare, they packed their things and flew to a new city, far from their family and friends, and their home, for the safe birth of their baby at Royal Children’s Hospital.
Hannah, Cayden and Eli arrived at Ronald McDonald House in Parkville, and Mack was born four weeks later. Hannah and Cayden got to hold their new baby briefly, before he was whisked away to intensive care. “The whole right-hand side of his heart was deformed. Two valves just didn’t work“, explains Cayden.
The first few weeks were intense and frightening. “We’d arrive at the hospital at nine in the morning and get back at nine at night“.
Once Mack was five weeks old, he was able to join his family at Ronald McDonald House, where they had been forming relationships and accepting support from different helpers – staff, volunteers, friends or family, and even other residents.
Cayden remembers one night when Mack had “Terrible colic. He was just crying all night long, and one of the mums in the neighbouring room came over and knocked on the door in the middle of the night, asking ‘Is there anything I can do? Can I just give you a break? I can feed him’.’”
Eli had other children to play with at the House and looked forward to his time in the Learning Centre, where an hour of school was provided each day to help him stay on track.
“Eli having friends has helped us the most. I didn’t have to worry about him. I knew he was going to be safe within the walls of the House.”
Having Ronald McDonald House also saved this family financially, as it does for many others.
“It meant we could still afford our mortgage back home.”
Hannah says she’s “not sure what she would have done without Ronald McDonald House”. After 245 nights with us, the family were finally able to return to Tasmania, where Mack met the rest of his family for the first time. The House staff and volunteers miss them dearly, but we’re so glad to see this beautiful family return home.