Samantha

As soon as I walked into Ronald McDonald House Orange, the beautiful volunteer welcomed me and as we stood in the foyer, where the music was playing softly, I was finally able to take a big deep breath.
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I was introduced to Ronald McDonald House Orange after the birth of my twins, Jacob and Lotti.
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I was at my 26-week appointment at Forbes hospital and had a really short cervix.  I had to go to Dubbo but when I got there, I was told I needed to go to Nepean.  The next day the plane came and I had to say goodbye to my girls and my partner who had to stay behind.
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The twins were born at 29 weeks and were as big as 600ml coke bottles.  When they were two months old we were transferred back to Orange.  The twins were in the special care nursery at the hospital and I was linked in with Ronald McDonald House.  It was great being so close to the hospital.  The nurses would ring me and let me know when they were running out of milk and I could be right there.
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When I saw the room I would be staying in I burst into tears.  It was amazing, such a relief.  I was then shown the meals in the fridge and burst into tears again.  All of it was a massive pressure lifted off my shoulders.  I slept so well that night.

I had postnatal depression with my girls and without the House I know I would have gone through depression again with the twins, just because of everything I went through in Sydney.  The staff and volunteers at the house always asked about the babies and it made all the difference.  It’s just amazing the support they offer.

Because of the House we didn’t have extra pressure to come up with the money for accommodation.  The volunteers are absolutely amazing.  They do it out of their own free will, their own love, they are so generous.  There was a box of handmade bears at the House and I took one each for the twins to show them that there are people who don’t even know them that love them.

I stayed at the House for almost two weeks and it was a utopia for me.  I can’t thank the staff and volunteers enough.  The twins are now four months old and absolutely thriving.