Santa is Looking for the Edwards Children

Second Christmas at our House in three years for South Island family

The true message of Christmas is often lost amidst the hype of it all, but not for the Edwards family – this year, the most important thing will be having the family together at a time when it matters most.

When Marlborough mum Jody Edwards gave birth to a premature baby boy in late November 2008, she found herself turning to Ronald McDonald House Wellington for a warm, safe home-away-from-home at a time when being close to her new son Corbin was the most important thing. Despite having to remain in Wellington for more than six weeks, Jody’s husband Hayden and sons Corryn and Casey were able to join her for Christmas at the House – a special time for the family to enjoy together.

Now, less than two years later, the Edwards family will once again be spending Christmas at the House with healthy and happy two-year-old Corbin in tow – this time, it is Jody and Hayden’s premature daughter Courtney in the Neonatal Unit at Wellington Hospital, where she has been for more than three months and is likely to remain until well into the New Year.

This year, Christmas at Ronald McDonald House Wellington is going to be a busy time, with all twelve rooms in the House likely to be full. The current capital campaign to create a brand new, bigger and better home-away-from-home for the families of sick children receiving treatment at Wellington Hospital is well underway, with a building programme set to get underway in the New Year. The new House will be able to accommodate as many as 35 families on any given night – almost three times that of the current House.

ENDS

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