Help build the first Ronald McDonald House in Ukraine for families with seriously ill children on the territory of Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital Ohmatdyt
For the first time in Ukraine, we are beginning construction of the foundation’s most ambitious program—the Ronald McDonald House. This will be a free space with 50 individual rooms for families with seriously ill children on the territory of Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital Ohmatdyt. We call this program a “home away from home,” as it will provide families with all the comforts of their own home, as well as the compassion and support of the foundation’s team, volunteers, and other families.
In the house, families with sick children will be able to stay in comfortable bedrooms for as long as needed for their child’s recovery, use a modern kitchen, living room, playroom, and library. Families will be able to meet all their basic needs so they can focus on what matters most—their sick child’s recovery. All of this just steps away from the hospital building. The Ronald McDonald House will especially help families who have brought their sick child from another city or village and cannot afford expensive temporary housing in Kyiv.
Around the world, thanks to philanthropists, nearly 400 such programs have been built and are maintained, with 100 of them in Europe. This program is available in every neighboring country: 12 programs in the Netherlands, 10 in France, 3 in Poland. In Ukraine, it will be the first.
Bohdan Sultanov from the Donetsk region, 30 km from Bakhmut. The boy has a serious diagnosis: cerebral palsy, spastic paraparesis of the lower limbs, and grade 4 hearing impairment. He also has a fear from kindergarten of being left alone, so his mother and father are always with him. Bohdan is showing good results, and it is important for him not to stop rehabilitation. If there is significant improvement, he will be able to avoid a difficult surgery. Thanks to the Ronald McDonald House program, the family will be able to focus on rehabilitation without spending money on housing rental.
Milanka's family faced the illness in 2021, when the girl was just over three years old. Milanka has thrombocytopenia, which can appear at any age and disappear at any time. Doctors are constantly trying to determine the cause, but it is very difficult. Milanka has frequent relapses, and when they occur, urgent hospitalization is needed. At the Ronald McDonald House, she will be able to live with her mother while undergoing rehabilitation at the hospital.
More children will be close to their families during treatment
More families across the country will gain access to critical medical care
Ukrainian families will be able to save millions of hryvnias on housing and food
The foundation's programs reduce stress for families and help the hospital provide the best care.
