Ahead of a nationwide fundraiser, a Cork father, James O’Riordan, has detailed how a 42-night stay at the Ronald McDonald House in Dublin in 2023 supported his family while their eight-year-old daughter, Leah, underwent treatment for a medulloblastoma.
The Crisis Behind the Stay at Ronald McDonald House
Leah O’Riordan first fell unwell around Christmas 2022. By March 2023, doctors discovered a blockage in her brain. She was transferred to Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin to relieve the pressure. A brief apparent recovery ended abruptly when she crashed her bicycle for no apparent cause.
“Michelle had this motherly feeling that something was wrong,” recalled James O’Riordan, reflecting on his wife’s intuition. Subsequent medical examinations revealed a medulloblastoma. The brain tumour quickly restricted Leah’s speech and movement, confining her to a wheelchair and halting internal organ function.
“Her brain wasn’t telling her internal organs to work,” James O’Riordan said. “We got to the point where we thought we were going to lose her in July 2023.”
Regaining a Voice Amid Trauma
In August 2023, just before Leah began a course of radiotherapy, James and Michelle O’Riordan received a room at the Ronald McDonald House facility in Dublin. While the parents initially sought to shield Leah's younger sisters, Maci and Evie, from the clinical environment, a visit from the siblings proved decisive.
“Leah had stopped speaking because of the tumour, and that day, when her sisters came up, she started talking again,” James O’Riordan said. “It was a huge thing, having her sisters there.”
For the family, the proximity and support provided by the facility during 42 nights proved essential to their daily functioning. “When you are deep in trauma, you need somewhere you can go to, shut the door behind you and sleep, so you can face the following day,” Mr O’Riordan noted. “Had it not been for Ronald McDonald House, it would have been very hard for us to function.”
McHappy Day Nationwide Fundraiser
To support the facility that housed them during Leah’s treatment, James and Michelle O’Riordan will join families across Ireland this Saturday for McHappy Day. All 98 McDonald’s restaurants across the country will participate in the fundraising effort.
For every qualifying order placed on the day, €1 will be donated directly to the Ronald McDonald House charity, supporting families facing similar medical crises.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
