McHappy Day will be particularly significant for Parkville's McGrath family in 2021, as they reflect on how their family was supported by Ronald McDonald House Charities nearly three decades ago.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
McDonald's Australia will be raising money for the company's Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) on Saturday November 13, including the house at John Hunter Hospital where the McGrath family first stayed.
In 1993, Ben McGrath was airlifted in the middle of the night from the family's home in Parkville to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle at just two-years old due to a medical emergency.
Ben's mother, Leanne McGrath, remembers running into the hospital from the helicopter trying to keep up with the medical staff.
"I had never been to John Hunter before, I was only a young mum in my early 20s," Leanne said.
"I had no idea what was going on, our family had never experienced anything like this."
Leanne said Ben was put on life support while her family navigated the nearly three hour drive from the Upper Hunter to stay by his side.
"At the time my husband and I also had a nine month old baby boy to care for," Leanne said.
"They were travelling by car back then without the expressway and it was a three hour drive to be with Ben and our families were traveling from Denman and Scone."
"Having a little baby, as well as a little boy on life support, I had nowhere to feed him, nowhere to bathe him. He was sleeping in a pram in the hallway of a hospital."
Leanne remembers when doctors told her Ben had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and was given a 30 per cent chance of survival.
"We were all in the hallway of the intensive care room and we didn't know what was going on really, we were just in shock," she said.
"We were lucky that a social worker came and told us about Ronald McDonald House and that it was a safe place right at John Hunter and they had a room organised for our family to stay in."
The McGrath family would eventually spend nearly sixteen years on and off at the Newcastle Ronald McDonald House as Ben continued to battle various illnesses.
"We've had long six-week stays when Ben had radiation treatment at the hospital and we've also had many week-long stays and overnight stays, really from the time when Ben was two years old to 18 years old," Leanne said.
Leanne said the support the family had received from the charity in that time had been invaluable.
"That's the main thing about Ronald McDonald House, your family is able to stay with you and help you through the years," she said.
"I've got five children now, they're all grown up, and having family with us during that time has been the most important thing and it's helped Ben through all of this harrowing ordeal.
"The staff are amazing, really unbelievable, they just make your life so easy and we've made a lot of friends, lifelong friends, from people that have also stayed at the house."
Leanne's family still travels to Newcastle regularly as Ben continues to have treatment for medical conditions attributed to his brain tumour, and she said although his illness meant he has lost the ability to speak and use one side of his body, Ben has a real love for life that inspires anyone who meets him.
After Ben celebrated his 30th birthday in 2021, Leanne said she hoped families across Australia continued to support the McHappy Day fundraiser.
"McHappy day is the biggest fundraiser of the year for RMHC and the support of all Australian families brings a loving connection straight to the hearts of all the families staying at Ronald McDonald houses," she said.
McDonald's Australia said over the past 30 years, McHappy Day has raised over $56 million for RMHC.
In 2021, McDonald's has launched launched a new range of Silly Socks with designs marking 30 years of McHappy Day in Australia.
McDonald's said 100 per cent of the profits made from sales of its Silly Socks will go towards RMHC Australia, alongside $2 from every 'Big Mac' sold by the company on Saturday, November 13.
Barbara Ryan, the chief executive officer of RMHC Australia, said McHappy Day was crucial to enable the charity to continue supporting seriously ill and injured children and their families across the country.
"Funds raised by McDonald's and its customers through the purchase of Silly Socks supports programs such as Ronald McDonald Houses, Family Rooms, Family Retreats and our National Learning Program, which make a real impact in the lives of families and children in their time of need."
