At eight weeks old, baby William was struggling to breathe. The regional hospital near his Albany home was not equipped to help, so he was rushed to Perth by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. There, he was diagnosed with a hole in his heart.

Two years later, when he was big enough, he was booked to have surgery, but at the same time his dad was also on an operating table having his heart worked on. William’s mother was by her husband’s side, while William was watched over by his loving Aunty Rebecca. While he was in hospital she stayed in Ronald McDonald House WA, a a facility that supports the families of sick children from rural and regional areas while they are in hospital.

What Aunty Rebecca learned in those few days in 2016 has stayed with her. It’s a story she told parliament this year, speaking as MLA Member for Albany Rebecca Stephens.

Talking about it, she says: “Families are going through such a raft of illnesses with their children that are from the regions, and I think it just gives that sense that you’re not alone.

“A lot of these families that visit the house are on their own because the other part of the family could still be stuck back at home which could be hundreds of kilometres away.”

Now eight years old, William is a happy, healthy boy. But for many children’s medical conditions require ongoing treatment, meaning frequent and prolonged stays in Perth. With this comes the financial cost and mental strain of finding accommodation. 

In 2022 Ronald McDonald House WA  (RMHC WA) helped 1704 families.

A spokesperson says this barely scraped the surface of applicants. 

They say the current need for its accommodation outweighs current capacity and a future goal for RMHC WA is to ensure no West Australian family seeking their support is turned away.

Currently, RMHC WA is forced to prioritise accommodation for families with children who have been recently diagnosed with a severe illness, been seriously injured or who require emergency treatment, as well as expectant mothers with high-risk pregnancies. 

Many families are faced with the ironic reality: their child is not ‘sick enough’ to qualify for Ronald McDonald Housing. But for more of these families, a lifeline is coming.

In mid-April, the WA State Government pledged $2.5 million in funding for RMHC WA to triple its’ ‘home away from home’ capacity at QEII Medical Centre. This is on top of a $1.2 million Lotterywest grant to create a brand-new House location, Ronald McDonald on Park. 

The RMHC WA spokesperson says majority of the Lotterywest grant will be used to refurbish existing infrastructure at St Catherine’s College in Nedlands to make it fit for purpose. This will involve creating a reception area, communal spaces such as family play and quiet zones, dining areas, kitchen and laundry facilities, as well as refreshing the accommodation rooms.

Together, cumulative funding from the State Government, Lotterywest and Stan Perron Charitable Foundation will allow RMHC WA to create 211 new rooms across three locations.

Stan Perron Charitable Foundation executive director Elizabeth Perron says RMHC WA is a worthy community grant recipient due to its impactful service.

“The Foundation is proud to support RMHC WA as they work to meet the growing demand for their crucial services and ensure that no family needing their help is turned away,” she says.

In a storm of worry and grief for your child’s health, with the fear of uncertainty snapping at the forefront of your mind, living arrangements and financial burden are two added pressures that most families families find it difficult to cope with.

With property vacancies in Perth at an all-time low since 2005 and no end to the rental crisis in sight, finding a short-term property to live in while a child is undergoing long-term treatment is increasingly hard.

This leaves regional families in a vulnerable position. Many are forced to turn to hotels for the duration of their child’s treatment, an expensive alternative to pile on top of medical fees and time taken off work.

Ms Stephens says there is some Government support to help cover costs, such as the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) subsidies available for regional people who have to travel for medical appointments.

She also admits the support often doesn’t outweigh the monetary and logistical costs. “It is a burden,” she says.

“I’ve had family members or friends who have had to move to [Perth] city for a few years because they’ve had a family member who’s had an ongoing illness.”

Director of the Western Australian Centre for Rural Health and Professor of Rural Health Sandra Thompson says there is no doubt there’s inequity in health outcomes for regional versus metropolitan citizens.

“I think it’s very well known that there are substantial health disparities for rurally based populations rather than urban populations and there’s a multitude of reasons that might explain that.”

She says this is amplified by the sheer size of our state. 

“Western Australia is a very challenged jurisdiction really because we have such a substantial geographic area and very small populations who are based away from the city and away from regional centres,” she says. 

Professor Thompson says regional centres may have access to good services, but they dry up quickly as you travel further away. 

“You don’t have to go too far out of those centres before … quality or the quantity of service might be a lot less. And it might be delivered differently.”

Professor Thompson says the investment in Ronald McDonald House WA is a step in the right direction, bringing immeasurable relief to the families who now have access to its resources. 

“I think to have an environment that’s not just a bed, but a convenient bed to where their treatment is located, is wonderful,” she says.

“Sharing space with other families in a supportive environment, with opportunities for them to talk to other parents and a set up where kids have got some toys to play with.

“All of those things would be really important.”

But it’s more of a bandaid than a meaningful change to the vast majority of regional families who need to more easily and frequently access high-quality medical treatment. 

“In terms of impact across the board, across the whole spectrum of all the things that influence people’s health, it’s one part of a solution but it’s not by any means all of it,” says Professor Thomas.

“For people who are rurally based, it’s incredibly important that those services are available.” 

Ms Stephens agrees and says her nephew’s heart issues emphasised not everything can be dealt with locally.

“There’s always things that we don’t have in the regions, but I’m an absolute big advocate that if my child was sick: I would want them to be taken to Perth.”

She says for severe illnesses and injuries, it’s more practical for individuals to travel to places with specialised expertise and equipment rather than attempting to provide these services in remote areas.

“Having seen firsthand the expertise that are in those hospitals, with the specialist machines and the specialist services, that it is the place where you really do need to get to have that treatment.”

But she says general regional health services should continue to be improved and are currently improving.

“I think there’s more services that are getting delivered,” says Ms Stephens.

“So just down in the Great Southern, we’ve got some funding in the budget around mental health and also increasing the number of allied health services for children.”

Yet government funding and support is only one avenue to solve the problem.

Ms Stephens says it’s essential to encourage medical university graduates to explore regional Western Australia as a viable place to live and suggests universities should facilitate more regional practical educational experiences. By exposing students to the intricacies of regional living early on, she hopes they may feel more comfortable leaving Perth behind when beginning their careers.

According to Ms Stephens, this combination of financial and holistic support will give regional health services its’ long-over-due rejuvenation. In her words: “It’s a complete package as to how we can encourage people to deliver those services in the regions.”