De Haan (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Through the Ronald McDonald Children’s Fund, families of seriously ill children can stay in no-cost accommodations at Center Parcs De Haan, a coastal town in West Flanders, Belgium. Families pay 25 euros per night to stay. Mother Els and her son Matisse (11) were among the initial group of visitors to the accommodation.
The Ronald McDonald Children’s Fund created Center Parcs De Haan’s new holiday home, which families with seriously ill children can utilise for 25 euros every night. Eight people from the organisation’s second facility in the Ardennes can accommodate themselves along with their private facilities. The first visitors included Matisse together with his mother, Els, and his cancer survivorship of kidney cancer has been accommodated at the vacation place.
“We received a huge number of requests for a stay in the cottage,”
says Hilde Celeste De Jonghe of the Children’s Fund.
“It was a logical step to open a second location and thus give even more families the peace and quiet they deserve.”
Families pay 25 euros per night for a cottage for up to 8 people with a private terrace, barbecue, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a fully equipped kitchen.
“We want to help as many families with hospitalized children as possible,”
says Celeste De Jonghe.
“For many of them, caring for their sick child takes up a large portion of their time and energy. This leaves little to no room or budget for relaxation or vacation.”
“Going on a trip was not an option for us, both budgetary and practical,”
says Els.
“A nurse from Ghent University Hospital asked us if we would like to come here on holiday at the suggestion of the Ronald McDonald Children’s Fund. Everything is focused on my son, so it feels great to be able to completely unwind here after 2 tough years.”
What is the prevalence of childhood illness and support services in the De Haan Region?
The Sciensano Institute in Belgium reports that one child out of 500 in the country faces a serious chronic or life-threatening illness, including cancer, congenital disorders and organ diseases. The annual admission of over 2,000 children to hospitals for long-term therapy occurs exclusively within Flanders, where Ghent University Hospital stands as a primary referral centre. The Ronald McDonald Children’s Fund shows that financial burdens affecting families who maintain children in hospital care exist for 70 % of them, while 40% cannot manage the costs of vacations.
De Haan in West Flanders became the selection site for the new holiday house because it provides easy access to specialised pediatric hospitals in less than 2 hours of travelling from Ghent and Brussels, while having existing tourism facilities. Before this initiative began, Center Parcs De Haan welcomed more than 500,000 visitors annually, but the site lacked any special accommodations for sick children and their families.
The results of a 2023 survey conducted by Kind & Gezin (Child & Family Agency) showed that three out of ten Belgian families who had a critically ill child had missed taking a vacation for more than two years because accessibility and cost factors were obstacles.
The opening of the first Ronald McDonald holiday home in the Belgian Ardennes in 2021 served 300+ families successfully because 92% of guests experienced stress reduction after staying there. The De Haan holiday facility extends its services to serve another 150 Belgian families each year to meet growing needs. The healthcare institutions UZ Gent and AZ Sint-Jan Brugge have agreed to refer qualified families first to families who have children receiving active medical treatment and continuing in recovery programs.
