Ronald McDonald House in Camden to get $2 million expansion

For Maria Perez, the Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey is more than just a place she stays at occasionally - it's another home.

Perez, who lives in South Carolina, has traveled back and forth to the house for 16 years as her son, Juan, has been treated for retinoblastoma, an eye cancer typically found in children, at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia.

"In the recent years, I've really enjoyed coming here," she said. "This is where my home is."

Now, families like hers can look forward to even greater care as part of the agency's $2 million expansion, announced at a news conference today. The project will include a 3,500-square-foot addition to the facility, which is on Mickle Boulevard next to Cooper University Hospital.

The renovation will add recreation rooms, including one just for teens, while improving the function and design of the dining room, kitchen, bathrooms and storage space. The dining room in particular could use a makeover, according to Teddy Thomas, executive director of the facility, for its failure to accommodate a number of wheelchairs at one time.

As outpatient care becomes more common, fewer children are staying overnight in hospitals, requiring them to spend more time at the McDonald House.

Building will begin this summer, in time for the October celebration of the house's 25th birthday, in the hopes of being completed by next spring. The $2 million came from fund-raisers, corporate sponsors and individual donations, according to Thomas.

The Ronald McDonald House was founded in 1983 in a building on Sixth Street in Camden, where it remained until 1998, when it moved to its current spot. The building has 20 bedrooms and houses children and their families for an average of two weeks as they receive care from Philadelphia-area hospitals. In 2005, a piece of adjoining property was bought and razed, adding nearly an acre of lawn for children to play on and a welcome view for patients sick of the constraints of a hospital room.

The house asks for a suggested donation of $15 a night from families, but never turns a family away if it lacks the funds.

Besides beds, the house provides meals and entertainment for the children, including yoga, ceramics, and visits from a therapy dog.

"For chronically ill kids, this is almost like going to a favorite aunt's house," Thomas said.

The house has assisted more than 16,000 families in its 25 years, offering a community atmosphere where families bond over shared hardships.

"You do develop lasting friendships," Thomas said.