Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House Prepares For Major Expansion
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The first Ronald McDonald House is expanding and will more than double its occupancy.
The 88 room addition will help the Ronald McDonald House on Chestnut Street provide more families with place to live while seeking medical care for their children in Philadelphia.
"We unfortunately, at the moment have to turn away about four out of five families that request a room," said Director of Marketing and Communications, Thomas Servello.
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Servello says staying at Ronald McDonald House helps alleviate some stress from a very stressful time for families.
"They don't have time to be focusing on their finances and where they're going to stay, what they're going to eat," he said. "How they're going to get to the hospital. And once they stay at the Ronald McDonald House they can just forget about all that because we'll take care of that for them."
The addition will also have private protected rooms for immune suppressed patients. Construction is expected to be complete by early 2019.