Boyup Brook’s Steere family encourage people to support Ronald McDonald House Charities

A Boyup Brook family are appealing to their community to support a charity close to their heart. Ronald McDonald House Charities have supported the Steere family through some of the hardest years of their lives when their youngest child, Tahlia, was found to have a benign tumor in her brain over three years ago. After noticing a drop in the left side of her three-year-old daughter’s face, Tahlia’s mum Cait rushed her to Boyup Brook Hospital where they were immediately referred to Perth Children’s Hospital. Ms Steere said from the first night in hospital with Tahlia, RMHC had been a huge support system for the family which was invaluable when they were in shock and unable to process what they were going through. “Certainly to the house itself, the fact that it’s funded for rural communities, people, patients, families, is unbelievable,” she said, “It’s a great service and I don’t know what we would do without it, it would be very hard without it.” Ms Steere said the family relied on RMHC quite heavily, staying at the house during Tahlia’s treatments and chemotherapies which can be for over a month at a time. “Being able to stay really close to the hospital, having 24-hour staff is incredible,” she said, “Sometimes she gets sick in the middle of the night and it helps so much that there’s someone there.” Tahlia has undergone two resection surgeries over the past three years, however due to the position of the tumour on her optic nerve and brain steam, Tahlia’s most recent surgery has left her with permanent damage to her pituitary and hypothalamus glands. Ms Steere said Tahlia coped really well despite the hypothalamus damage but it had made this year harder than others. She said her daughter was doing well because of RMHC, which was geared toward children, including offering schooling and learning programs which helped Tahlia to feel confident and comfortable. McHappy Day kicked off last week and is McDonald’s largest annual fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities, raising vital funds to help seriously ill children such as Tahlia and their families across WA. WA locals can show their support by buying a pair of Big Mac or French Fries-themed Silly Socks or Helping Hands, or by making a donation online by visiting www.rmhc.org.au/give.