Ronald McDonald House Charities^® Southwestern Ontario About Us

Two Houses Keeping One Family Close

RMHC-SWO Windsor-Essex McHappy Day Family,
The Arifs 

When Malia’s parents, Mallory and Saman, found out their daughter would be delivered months before her due date, they were terrified. Nothing could have prepared them for needing to move hundreds of kilometers from home to receive care for their premature daughter. Not only would Malia be fighting for her life from her very first breath, but the Arifs had no idea where they would stay or how they would cover the expenses of being away from their home in Windsor for so long. 

“When we first learned that Malia would be born pre-term, we were overwhelmed with the idea of having to pay over $10,000 in hotel fees alone to be close to her in the NICU at London Children's Hospital. Honestly, I really didn’t understand the depth in which the charity assisted families of sick kids until I experienced it myself. I truly didn’t even know how much I actually needed a place like RMH until we were there and experiencing it for ourselves.”

Alongside the House in London, the RMHC-SWO Chapter is incredibly lucky to include Canada’s only house-within-a-hospital, located within Windsor Regional Hospital. Within this space, we offer families like the Arifs a safe place to eat, sleep, and recover from a difficult day.

The Arifs are one of the many families who have needed to stay in and benefit from the wraparound care offered within both Houses. In London and Windsor, they saw how much of a difference is made when you can be just steps from your little one as they make their way into the world. Providing a welcoming place to stay close and daily homecooked meals are just two ways RMHC lifts the financial burden weighing on families with hospitalized children. Today, we are so happy to share the family is back home, Malia is thriving, and loves being a big sister to new baby Kira!