Ronald McDonald House in Hamilton lights up for holiday season

Christmas is in the air at the Ronald McDonald House in Hamilton where families celebrated the annual “Light Up Our House for the Holidays” event.

Ronald McDonald House offers families somewhere to stay while their child is undergoing treatment at a children’s hospital.

The Aslam family took on the house lighting ceremony Wednesday at the Main Street West location.

Their nine-month-old daughter has been in the neonatal intensive care unit and the family has been living at the Ronald McDonald House for over 100 days.

Farrah Aslam says the local charity has done more for her family than words can explain.

“This became our home during one of our most vulnerable times,” Aslam said. “We can’t thank the staff and volunteers enough for the support they gave us.”

Mario De Devitiis, CEO of Ronald McDonald House South Central Ontario, says a reality for nearly 40 families living at the Ronald McDonald House is waking up Christmas morning and not being at their home with family.

“They don’t need to do Christmas shopping — we’ve got toys for them to take,” De Devitiis said. “They don’t need to prep a Christmas meal — we’ll do that for them.”

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