House for families with sick children opens, even if the neighbor is a construction site.

Denmark's second Ronald McDonald House opens, despite the neighbor being an unfinished hospital

Denmark's second Ronald McDonald House is set to open in Odense on March 19th. The house, which is located next to an unfinished hospital, Nyt OUH, has been eagerly anticipated by the Ronald McDonald Foundation.

Despite the fact that Nyt OUH is not yet completed, and no one knows when it will be, Rikke Holm, the director of the Ronald McDonald Foundation, is thrilled.

"We're really happy to be able to come in – our volunteers can come in, and our families can come in. It would have been ideal if Nyt OUH was ready, and there are some practical things that need to be sorted out. There are some access cards and the like, but we're making good progress with that," Rikke Holm said.

The new building in Odense will have 15 rooms, common areas, a playroom, and creative corners, where families can stay and be close to their sick children who are hospitalized.

"It's been built as a home, and there's everything you'd find in a home. Families have their own rooms, and they can lock the door and be alone, or they can be together with others. They have the opportunity to cook, and there's a washing machine and all the things you'd find in a regular home. We try to make it as cozy as possible, and there are volunteers who organize activities – baking, playing, and the like," Rikke Holm explained.

The existing house at Rigshospitalet has 12 rooms and has been in operation for 22 years. The new house in Odense will have three more rooms and will be open to families with children who have various types of illnesses.

"When you build a new and beautiful house, it should be used. It shouldn't be empty," Rikke Holm said.

The agreement between Region Syddanmark and the Ronald McDonald Foundation was signed in 2012. The house is being built on a 4,000 square meter plot of land provided by Region Syddanmark. The house covers 1,600 square meters and includes 15 furnished rooms, a common area, playrooms, and a kitchen. It is expected to be completed by March 2025.

The house is for families with seriously ill children. Children can be between 0 and 18 years old. Families visit the house. The Ronald McDonald Foundation is an independent organization that establishes and operates Ronald McDonald Houses in Denmark. Rigshospitalet has had a Ronald McDonald House since 2002.

There are no geographical limitations – families can come from Tønder, Skagen, or Langeland, or anywhere else.

"It doesn't matter so much if they have to drive ten minutes from the house to OUH. It's not the main thing when you're already having to travel a long way," the director emphasized.

Nyt OUH has become a headache for Region Syddanmark, which has been giving daily fines to the main contractor since mid-December 2023 because a strip of foundation pilings has not been filled. Initially, the fines were one million kroner per day, but since July, they have been three million kroner per day.

However, Rikke Holm emphasized that it's the families' needs that are most important, but that it's also important that a house not be empty for years:

"When you build a new and beautiful house, it should be used. It shouldn't be empty."

The land for the house was prepared by Region Syddanmark, and the agreement was approved by Region Syddanmark in 2019. Construction could then begin.

It is still unclear when Nyt OUH will open its doors. The original plan was for 2022, but the current plan is for the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026, but the timeline is not holding. Region Syddanmark and the Italian construction company are currently in negotiations about a new timeline.

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