History

The Ronald McDonald House of Durham (RMHD) opened its doors on February 1, 1980. It was the first House in North Carolina, the thirteenth in the nation, and the first to open without the support of a professional football team. At the time, it was the only House of its kind to be developed and supported entirely by the surrounding community.

In the late 1970s, a Development Officer at Duke University Medical Center recognized the need for affordable accommodations for the growing number of pediatric patients and their families who traveled great distances for treatment to “The City of Medicine,” Durham, North Carolina, and to the Duke University Medical Center. Together with representatives from the medical arena, civic leadership and the community, the need was documented and the process to apply for and receive a license to operate was started. The past 30 years have proved these early leaders were correct.

Each year the Ronald McDonald House of Durham has maintained an average occupancy rate of 97.5%. In 2009, our House hosted over 1,000 family visits.  However, the House was not able to help nearly 500 families for no other reason than there were no rooms available for them. This ever-increasing need for accommodations is a direct correlation to the excellence and growth in pediatric services being provided by Duke Children’s Hospital, a world-class medical facility with 147 total beds, including 66 beds in PICU and NICU, along with 16 beds dedicated for bone marrow transplants. In addition, 75,000 out-patient visits a year are logged at the Children’s Health Center and Lenox Baker Facility.

In addition to the House, the Ronald McDonald Family Room provides respite care for families inside of Duke Children’s Hospital – just steps away from the pediatric intensive care units. The Family Room serves over 20,000 parents of critically ill children each year.