FORT SMITH, Ark. — Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith will be getting a brand new Ronald McDonald House to serve families with sick children in the River Valley.
“We have a family room right now, and it has four rooms in Mercy right above labor and delivery,” said Erin Farrah.
Erin Farrah, with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkoma, told 5NEWS that it's a place where families with sick children can stay and be close to their hospitalized child. Over the last few years, the Ronald McDonald House at Mercy has stayed at a 90% capacity, making the need for families far greater.
"So after we got a very sizable donation, we decided it was a great time to get started,” said Allison Davis with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkoma.
After a few years of dreaming and campaigning, their hopes for a bigger location is becoming a reality.
The new Ronald McDonald House will be partnered with Mercy, and the hospital has donated a piece of land on its education campus for the construction.
Along with the house already in the hospital, the stand-alone house will provide more than just a kitchen and a few extra rooms for families.
“We will have a playground for the kids. We will have a serenity garden, or parents may want to go to get some peace and to reflect on what’s going on," said Davis. "And we are even going to have a house dog."
The new space is providing a service that Davis says is much needed.
“Families that are going through a difficult time they need us now more than ever because they’re not allowed to have visitors, so they rely heavily on our staff, so we feel it’s very important to be able to expand our services snd this will add 11 new bedrooms,” said Davis.
They will be breaking ground on the new house next month and hope to complete the project by the spring of 2021.
A campaign to raise money for the new home is still underway as they push to reach their final goal. You can donate by following this link.