Grateful that should her family ever need the John Hunter Children’s Hospital, it is close by, Alison McQueen is strapping on her helmet and hitting the cycleways in support of families from regional communities who have to travel far from home when they need to be close to hospital for their ill or injured children.
Managing Director of Newcastle and Hunter Community Health, Alison is raising money as part of Ride for Sick Kids in support of Ronald McDonald House Charity Northern NSW.
Ride for Sick Kids is aimed at getting people on their bikes, whether it be in the gym or the outdoors, to raise funds to ensure the valuable home away from home support provided by Ronald McDonald House Charities is able to continue.
Giving back to the local community
Alison said she was keen to get riding in support of a charity that offers such valuable support to families at a time when they need it most.
“While I am a Registered Nurse and business owner, I am also a mother of two,” she said. “Over the years, like all parents, my kids have had illnesses and accidents which have occasionally resulted in a trip to hospital.”
“Thankfully, these trips were over quickly, and we could get back to our everyday lives, but I am very aware that for many families this is not the case. Their children have significant illnesses or injuries and require ongoing medical care.”
“To have a child who is seriously unwell and also having to navigate how to manage being away from your home and support network, as well as being unable to work and having costs associated with medical care, transport and accommodation, is a stress which so many families endure.”
“Ronald McDonald House is a fantastic charity which takes some of these stresses away or helps to minimise them and is a way to put a little bit of positivity into a family’s life who are enduring more than they should,” she said.
Participating in Ride For Sick Kids
Participating in the Ride for Sick Kids CEO Ride Off back in July, Alison said it was rewarding to be able to give back.
“When I participated in the CEO Ride Off, we heard firsthand from a family member staying at Ronald McDonald House how much it meant to be able to be close to their loved ones while they were in hospital,” she said.
“To show my support for this event and Ronald McDonald House, our organisation has put a goal for me to raise $1000 by riding a total of 80 kilometres in the month of September,” Alison said.
“NHCH are proud to be able to raise funds for such a remarkable charity – we couldn’t do it without the support of our amazing community.”
More information about Ronald McDonald House Charity and the support they offer is available on their website.