Swimming with sea lions off the coast of Jurien Bay in Western Australia, 16-year old Amber Miller felt free. The temporarily wheelchair-bound teenager from Mount Helena, east of Perth, says the experience made her momentarily forget the illness that has consumed her life for the past two years.
“It was amazing to be so close to the sea lions in their natural habitat,” she says. “Afterwards, we went swimming and snorkelling – the whole day was great.”
The experience was part of a holiday, in October last year, to the Ronald McDonald Family Retreat at Jurien Bay. Amber and her family received one week of free accommodation at the beachside retreat to help them forget about the hospitals and specialists that had become part of their everyday routines.
It had been 18 months since Amber’s brain tumour was removed, and surgery complications forced her into a wheelchair. After months of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and daily physiotherapy, her mother Darlene says the holiday couldn’t have come at a better time.
“We hadn’t been away for over two years, and with everything Amber had been through, we just really needed to get away,” she says.
“We went fishing – not that we caught much – and took a drive to see the Pinnacles, which were really stunning.”
The Family Retreat is in the seaside resort town of Jurien Bay, 266km north of Perth. With its close proximity to the beach and tourist attractions, the fully-equipped two-bedroom cottage provides families of seriously ill children with the perfect escape.
Families like the Millers are often placed under immense emotional, physical and financial stress. To help relieve the burden, Ronald McDonald House Charities created Ronald McDonald Family Retreats, which provide free accommodation for families when they need it most and can least afford it.
They offer families with a seriously ill child or those recently bereaved with a week of free accommodation, giving them a break from hospitals and medical treatments.
“It really does provide the perfect opportunity to get away,” Darlene says. “For Amber it really was such a hard age to have to go through this – to have to go through this at any age is tough, but to go through it as a teenager is pretty difficult. “But having things like the Retreat has made it easier for Amber and our family to cope.”
“It was amazing to be so close to the sea lions in their natural habitat,” she says. “Afterwards, we went swimming and snorkelling – the whole day was great.”
The experience was part of a holiday, in October last year, to the Ronald McDonald Family Retreat at Jurien Bay. Amber and her family received one week of free accommodation at the beachside retreat to help them forget about the hospitals and specialists that had become part of their everyday routines.
It had been 18 months since Amber’s brain tumour was removed, and surgery complications forced her into a wheelchair. After months of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and daily physiotherapy, her mother Darlene says the holiday couldn’t have come at a better time.
“We hadn’t been away for over two years, and with everything Amber had been through, we just really needed to get away,” she says.
“We went fishing – not that we caught much – and took a drive to see the Pinnacles, which were really stunning.”
The Family Retreat is in the seaside resort town of Jurien Bay, 266km north of Perth. With its close proximity to the beach and tourist attractions, the fully-equipped two-bedroom cottage provides families of seriously ill children with the perfect escape.
Families like the Millers are often placed under immense emotional, physical and financial stress. To help relieve the burden, Ronald McDonald House Charities created Ronald McDonald Family Retreats, which provide free accommodation for families when they need it most and can least afford it.
They offer families with a seriously ill child or those recently bereaved with a week of free accommodation, giving them a break from hospitals and medical treatments.
“It really does provide the perfect opportunity to get away,” Darlene says. “For Amber it really was such a hard age to have to go through this – to have to go through this at any age is tough, but to go through it as a teenager is pretty difficult. “But having things like the Retreat has made it easier for Amber and our family to cope.”
