A new chapter in family-centered healthcare began this week as Kamloops officially opened its first Ronald McDonald House Family Room, located inside the Phil & Jennie Gaglardi Tower at Royal Inland Hospital.
The 1,100-square-foot space is designed to be a comforting home-away-from-home for families with children receiving care in the hospital’s pediatric and neonatal intensive care units. With many patients traveling hours from rural or remote communities, the Family Room provides much-needed proximity, comfort, and calm during difficult times.
“This is an incredibly important place,” said Richard Pass, CEO of Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon. “Families can step out of the clinical environment, get a coffee, take a breather, and just be close to their child. When families are less stressed, outcomes improve. Healing improves.”
A Project Years in the Making
The idea for a Kamloops Family Room was first born in 2017, when early renovation planning began. Unlike a new build, this was a complex retrofit of hospital space — a process delayed by the pandemic, supply shortages, and rising construction costs.
“We thought this would cost $600,000–$700,000,” said Heidi Coleman, CEO of the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation. “In the end, it was closer to $1.2 million. But today, with it finally open and ready to serve families, all that hardship is behind us.”
Much of the funding came from the community, including a $1 million gift from philanthropist Rae Nixon, plus an additional $100,000 from the Kowalski family.
Comfort and Connection for Families in Crisis
The Family Room includes a full kitchen, showers, lounge spaces, and a single overnight suite for families to stay close to their children. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, with the first overnight guests expected in early July.
“People don’t give birth in every small town in the Interior,” Coleman noted. “They come here — Lillooet, Williams Lake, Sun Peaks. This is for all of them. And it’s inside the hospital, where they need to be.”
Rae Nixon with family who was helped by Ronald MacDonald House after their daughter was born at just 1.2 lbs
A Personal Story of Impact
One parent, speaking at the opening, shared an emotional story about his family’s own NICU journey in Vancouver — a story that underscored exactly why a facility like this matters:
“She was born at 1.2 pounds. Now she’s six years old and 36 pounds. But we went through 133 days in the NICU. We lost one of our twins. And in that time, we were just surviving. I was sleeping on a two-inch mat on the hospital floor with Christine. Once we had Maya, the Ronald McDonald House became our lifeline. Being two minutes from her room — that made the difference. The doctors told us, you need to be there, you need to hold her, talk to her. And we could, because of the House.”
“This Family Room — hundreds, maybe thousands of people will use it. Rae’s foresight, her energy — six years of work. I’m more than blown away. Thank you, Rae.”
A Step Forward, and a Vision for More
Kamloops now joins Surrey and Nanaimo as home to one of three Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in B.C. All three are part of a connected network serving families across the province and into the Yukon.
“If you’re staying in one of our Family Rooms or Houses, you’re always welcome at another,” said Pass. “We’re one organization, and we’re here to support you wherever you need care.”
Looking ahead, Coleman hopes to partner with future developments nearby — including a proposed mixed-use tower across from the hospital — to one day offer expanded accommodations for more families.
“We’re always looking to serve more families and more communities,” added Pass. “This Family Room is the first step.”
How You Can Help
Those looking to support the Ronald McDonald House Family Room in Kamloops or across B.C. can visit rmhbc.ca to donate. Contributions help fund operations and ensure that families never have to worry about where they’ll sleep or find comfort during a medical crisis.
“This space is for our entire region,” said Coleman. “And no one does this alone. It took a village to build it—and it will take a village to keep it going.”
