The school bag is ready. The lunchboxes are being filled, and the alarm is set a little earlier again.
For many families, September 1 marks the end of summer vacation and the start of a familiar school routine.
But when one of your children is in the hospital, that first day of school feels completely different.
As a parent, you try to be present in two worlds that both demand your attention at the same time. You want to sit by the hospital bed, but you also want to help look for that missing gym bag at home.
School is starting again. There are forms to fill out, sandwiches to make, and kids need to be at the school gate on time. At the same time, there are medical exams, doctor’s appointments, and perhaps some difficult decisions to make.
This can cause parents to have mixed feelings.
You’re glad that your other child is seeing friends again and has something familiar to look forward to. Still, it can be hard when you have to miss an important school event.
And when you go home for a little while, your thoughts remain with the child in the hospital.
There’s no perfect way to balance the two. At times like these, as a parent, you just do what you can that day.
For younger brothers and sisters, too, the start of the school year can feel different.
They may be looking forward to their new class, but at the same time, they may be worried about what’s happening at the hospital. Some children talk about it easily. Others, on the other hand, seek distraction through their friends, classes, or hobbies.
It may be helpful to briefly inform the teacher. Medical details are not necessary.
Just a little background information can be enough to understand why a child:
In the classroom, they get to just be students for a little while—not just the brother or sister of a child who is sick.
After a day at school, there’s often a lot to talk about—a new teacher, a friend in class, or something funny that happened on the playground.
Maybe it happens over the phone. Maybe during a visit to the hospital. Sometimes we have to wait until later in the evening.
Those little stories are important to children. They want to know that Mom or Dad is still interested in what they’ve been up to, even when attention is often focused on their sick brother or sister.
For families who live farther away, all the travel takes extra time and energy.
At the Ronald McDonald House in Jette, parents can stay overnight close to their hospitalized child. There are ten guest rooms, each with a private bathroom. Siblings can also stay with their parents when necessary.
In addition, the house features a kitchen, dining room, laundry room, library, play area, and two patios.
That makes ordinary family moments possible again. Having breakfast together before heading off to school. Doing homework in the evening. Reading for a little while before bedtime.
Meeting other residents can be nice, but anyone who needs some privacy can retreat to their own room.
The house doesn’t eliminate the need for medical care. But it does provide a family with a practical and welcoming place to stay during a difficult time.
A hospital stay brings about many changes, but children still need moments that feel familiar.
Knowing who takes them to school.
To someone who will listen to their story.
Their pajamas, favorite book, or a stuffed animal before bedtime.
That is exactly where the Ronald McDonald House can make a difference.
Not with grand gestures, but by giving families the opportunity to stay close to one another and maintain as normal a family life as possible.
Thanks to donors, sponsors, partners, and volunteers, families can stay at the Ronald McDonald House when one of their children is hospitalized.
With your support, parents won’t have to be far away from their child who needs them during such a difficult time.
Will you help keep families close together?
