The day that Julia and Jacob’s 1 ½ year old daughter Harper had a fall whilst playing in the backyard of their home resulted in what the family now describes as being a miracle.

The fall caused an undiagnosed tumour to erupt resulting in Harper urgently needing to relocate to Royal North Shore Hospital and begin treatment for an extremely rare form of cancer. Today, Harper is based at the John Hunter Children’s Hospital, where she continues to receive the ongoing treatment that is needed.

Since 14 September 2021, Julia and Jacob have been staying at Ronald McDonald House, making the difficult decision to leave Harper's siblings 6 year old Noah and 4 year old Aria with family in their hometown near Coffs Harbour.

Julia and Jacob’s situation sadly isn’t a unique one, with many families taking life one day at a time, navigating the many life-altering decisions as they go.

With Christmas only weeks away it’s more important than ever for families to be together, and this is where you can help. The Ronald McDonald 12 Days of Christmas is your chance to provide families like Julia and Jacob’s a familiar home away from home during the most difficult times in their lives.

To provide a little more incentive, from now until 24 December, any donation up to $1,000 will be matched and doubled by the very generous support of 22 local businesses across Northern NSW, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, and the Hunter.

Your support gives parents like Julia and Jacob the chance to rest and regain their strength away from the stresses of loud hospital noises and bright lights, giving them peace of mind for as long as they need it, as Julia explains,

“My kids are always together and thankfully Harper’s little brother and sister were able to join us for Aria’s birthday in October, and be together as a family. They adore each other. Having them all together in the house was such a special time for us. It was like a little bit of normal back in our lives.”

“If we weren’t able to stay here at the house, the cost to stay elsewhere means we would struggle financially, but we wouldn’t have a choice, we need to be by Harper’s side. Even though we aren’t at home with our extended family, we have a sense of community here in the house.”

If you would like to help families like Julia & Jacob you can donate any time with donations being matched by a different local business each day so keep an eye on Ronald McDonald social media channels to support a specific local business by donating on their day of the Ronald McDonald House 12 Days of Christmas.