CHERUBS is excited to announce that our 2009 Angel Ball will be a joint project for our organization and for the Ronald McDonald House of Durham, NC which provides shelter for families at Duke University Medical Center. CHERUBS and the Ronald McDonald House charities have always worked together through the years as we share in helping families of children born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. They provide an invaluable service to all families affected by all types of health problems. At least 50% of families affected by CDH have benefited from the services a Ronald McDonald House.
We are extremely excited to be working with Duke's Ronald McDonald House because it is just 2 blocks from beautiful Duke Gardens, where our Angel Ball is held and right around the corner from Duke Children's Hospital and Duke North (which houses the PICU and NICU). It is also very near and dear to my heart as I stayed there for 10 months when my son was at Duke. Even though Duke is not a CDH center and only has 4 to 5 CDH babies a year, this hospital is just 1 of the dozens of hospitals that help CDH families - with dozens of Ronald McDonald Houses that we hope to work with more in the future.
Ronald McDonald Houses help families in so very many ways - financially by providing a place to stay that is safe, germ-free, and extremely close to the hospital in case of emergency. They also provide some meals and transportation to and from the hospital. Most importantly, they provide emotional support and connections to other families also going through crisis. Their services are invaluable and we are so thankful for all that they do for CDH families. Not only because do they amazing things for the families but they help us as well in that because they provide this service to CDH families, we don't have to focus time, volunteers and money to help with housing for these families and can use those resources to focus on support, awareness and research.
We are extremely, extremely excited to be working with the Ronald McDonald House staff and volunteers, Duke's staff and so many local volunteers on this year's Angel Ball and in helping CDH families!
Formal press release with much more exciting information coming soon!
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