Our Why | Dunedin Supper Club

DUNEDIN SUPPER CLUB

We give families with a hospitalised child what they need most - each other.

Every year, RMHC New Zealand offers free accommodation and support to thousands of families with a child in a hospital away from home. Here is a snapshot of how support from RMHC New Zealand has helped families, bravely shared with the Dunedin Supper Club in their own words.

At 32 weeks pregnant Maddie and Mackenzie found out that their unborn child, Maya, had a perforated bowel and one week later Maya was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a condition that causes a build up of sticky mucus in the lungs and impacts many of the organs in the body. It is a life-threatening disease and doesn’t have a cure.

Maya was born at 35 weeks via emergency C-section, because Maddie had been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. On her first day of life, Maya was wheeled into surgery: a three-hour operation where part of her bowel was removed and a stoma was placed. Maddie got to meet her baby girl the next day, in the NICU, this beautiful tiny baby surrounded by medical equipment, with breathing tubes and monitors attached.

Four weeks later Maya needed to have the stoma reversed and 10 days later they were transferred back to Dunedin hospital. They are now back home in Dunedin, and while it was daunting leaving hospital environment with trained nurses, it was lovely to have Maya home to start her life with them. There will be an ongoing need for medical treatment, but are so proud of Maya and her resilience. During this challenging time Ronald McDonald House became their lifeline. “It really is a home away from home during what has been the worst time of our life”.

Maddie, Mackenzie & Maya Palmer

Around Christmas 2021, Bronwyn and Jade Maguire noticed their 22 month old son Bryn was becoming unsteady on his feet. They took him to their local medical practice twice within two days and were referred to a paediatrician but were told that the wait time could be up to three weeks. “We knew Bryn didn’t have two weeks”, Bronwyn said, “Jade and I packed an overnight bag and took Bryn straight to Dunedin ED where we were admitted onto the ward”.

During the next 24 hours “our whole world fell apart”. Bryn was diagnosed with Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumour (ATRT). Children with ATRT are only given a 30% chance of survival.

“We packed that first overnight bag to travel to Auckland on 12 January 2022. 251 days later Bryn finally got to return to his home. We are forever grateful to Ronald McDonald House for providing us a home and helping our family through the toughest time of our lives”.

The Maguire Family, Guests of Dunedin Supper Club 2024

“Angus was born August 25, by emergency C-section and proved everyone wrong and was kicking his legs all over the place. After a 4 day stint in the maternity ward and a couple of X-ray attempts we were told we could take our wee lad home. For the first couple of weeks it felt like we were 1) never going to sleep again! and, 2) were the parents of a perfectly normal baby.

At 8 weeks however we were told we’d have to fly to Auckland to see a specialist and have images taken of Angus. It was a terrifying thought! As new parents we had to take our baby to a strange hospital in a big city where we had no one and no support.

We arrived at RMHC and we were immediately made to feel welcome. We met other parents going through their own experiences both similar and different in a comforting sort of way.”

Richy Budd and Family, Guests of Dunedin Supper Club 2023

“Ronald McDonald House is an incredible place with an amazing wrap around service at a time when things are chaotic and hard to navigate.

Everyone we spoke to while we were there had different stories and different journeys but we were all there because we needed to be where the specialists were and Ronald McDonald House made that so much easier for us all.

I will be forever grateful for all they do for those of us in need and while I hope it’s not a service you ever need to take advantage of, I am confident if you find yourself in a situation in which you require a home away from home Ronald McDonald House will be that place.”

Regassa Family, Guests of Dunedin Supper Club 2022

Darrin and Julia Steedman and their children Brock, Liam, Brianna, and Enzo, shared the story about how their lives took a sharp turn in January 2020.

Not only did they have to live through the national lockdown due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, their 6-year-old daughter Brianna had to undergo treatment for a tumour.

“When I first arrived, I was a bit nervous but when I walked through the door, the most amazing people were there to greet you. The hardest thing for us was to leave. It was an extremely emotional time. We will be forever grateful for everything the team at Ronald McDonald House has done to help us through these tough times in our journey” Darrin Steedman shared.

Steedman Family, Guests of Dunedin Supper Club 2021

“The truth is, without Ronald McDonald House and everything that they do, our journey would have, and will be, one of more undue stress, anxiety, and more of a challenge that anyone should have to face.”

Vernal Family from Dunedin 2020