By Ronald McDonald House
A freshly washed set of Spider-Man sheets sits folded inside the Ronald McDonald House® Family Room at Banner Children’s at Thunderbird, waiting to be returned to a child undergoing cancer treatment down the hall.
A volunteer washing a child’s set of favorite sheets is a small detail, but for families spending days or weeks inside the hospital, familiar comforts can make an overwhelming situation feel a little more manageable.
Providing comfort and respite for families with a hospitalized child is the purpose behind the Valley’s first Ronald McDonald House Family Room.
Located just steps away from the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), the Family Room was created to support families during some of their most difficult days.
At a traditional Ronald McDonald House, families who live more than 30 miles away from their child’s medical care are able to stay overnight near the hospital. A Family Room, however, is available for day use inside the hospital to any family with a child in the NICU or PICU, no matter how close they live.
The 710-square-foot Family Room at Banner Children’s at Thunderbird includes a lounge area, complimentary snacks and coffee, Wi-Fi, laundry facilities and a private lactation room where NICU mothers can pump and step away briefly from the stress of the unit. Two quiet napping bays with massage chairs and noise-canceling headphones let exhausted caregivers rest in a calm, non-clinical environment. Volunteers are always there to help.
“When a child is receiving critical care, proximity matters,” said Kerry Schulman, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Central and Northern Arizona. “This Family Room is about providing families a place to pause, take a deep breath and decompress without ever having to leave the hospital.”
Parents of hospitalized children often spend days or weeks balancing fear, exhaustion and uncertainty. Many arrive expecting a short stay and quickly run out of clean clothes or pajamas. Even leaving for a meal, to wash clothes or to rest can feel difficult while trying to remain constantly present for a child in crisis.
The Family Room model was designed to help ease some of that burden, giving families a place to step away for a moment without feeling like they are leaving the hospital behind.
At Banner Children’s at Thunderbird, families now have a space intentionally created for them, not as visitors, but as an essential part of their child’s care team. Siblings can decompress during long treatments, parents can recharge between difficult conversations and volunteers can help wash favorite blankets, pajamas and children’s own character-themed sheets that bring children comfort during long hospital stays.
Research has shown that family presence can play an important role in a child’s healing process. But staying close to a hospitalized child can also take a significant emotional and physical toll on caregivers.
Hospital staff members say the addition reflects a growing recognition that caring for a child also means caring for the family surrounding them.
The Family Room is currently open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with volunteers helping welcome families, stock supplies and maintain the peaceful atmosphere.
To learn more about the Ronald McDonald House Family Room or how to volunteer, visit ronaldmcdonaldhousecnaz.org/family-room.
