Family members of up to 53 hospitalized children will soon benefit every day as Ronald McDonald House® Central and Northern Arizona opens the first Ronald McDonald House Family Room in the Valley at Banner Children’s at Thunderbird on Monday, March 2.
Designed as a peaceful place for families to find comfort and support as they stay close to their hospitalized child, the majority of construction costs for the Family Room were offset by a generous $200,000 contribution from Erika and Roger Greaves, Youth Angels.
Located inside the medical center at 5555 W. Thunderbird Road in Glendale, the new 710-square-foot Ronald McDonald Family Room will be reserved for families whose children are receiving care in the 36-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and 17-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
Just steps from intensive care facilities, the Family Room features a welcoming reception area, a lounge, a kitchenette with coffee and snacks, wi-fi, laundry amenities and a private lactation room. The space also includes two napping bays designed for rest and renewal – with massage chairs, noise-canceling headphones and a calm, non-clinical environment where parents and caregivers can recharge during long hospital days.
“When a child is receiving critical care, proximity matters,” said Kerry Schulman, President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Central and Northern Arizona. “This Ronald McDonald House Family Room is about providing families a place to pause, take a deep breath and decompress without ever having to leave the hospital.”
The Family Room layout was designed by Interiors In Design, with architectural support from HKS and construction completed by Kitchell, at a total cost of $375,000…