Christmas time is particularly hard for families as they are far from home and also dealing with the trauma of a seriously ill child. With hotels and other residential services closed due to COVID-19, the services of the Ronald McDonald House are more i Having hosted more than 4,000 families since opening its doors in 2004, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) provides a home-away-from-home for 20 families, who can rely on a clean and controlled environment to stay, close to their children who are undergoing treatment in Children's Health Ireland, Crumlin. This accommodation is especially important for families living outside of Dublin, who would be faced with the financial burden of finding accommodation in the city to stay close to their child. The COVID-19 crisis has created especially challenging conditions for these families, who are now dealing with the additional anxieties of the pandemic while continuing to manage the impact of life-changing diagnoses within their family.