co-founder of the first ronald mcdonald house
(Republished from rmhc.org)
When a child is seriously ill or injured, the only thing a family should have to worry about is getting them the care they need. Each year, millions of families are faced with uncertainty when they have to travel for the medical care their child needs. Where will they stay? How will they pay for it? Thankfully, they are able to turn to Ronald McDonald House Charities for support— thanks to Dr. Audrey Evans.
Although she recently peacefully passed away, we celebrate the life of the extraordinary woman who changed the world through her life’s work. She insightfully knew that “a family with a sick child is a sick family,” and built a care model around this strongly held belief. This philosophy is what lead her to creating a place for parents to stay close to the hospital while their seriously ill children were being treated. She knew that families needed to stay together during the most difficult times of their lives.
Dr. Evans changed the course of pediatric medical treatment worldwide with the creation of the first Ronald McDonald House® in Philadelphia in 1974 which served as a model for 380 other House programs across the globe. Services have also expanded, including 689 RMHC-affiliated programs in more than 60 countries and regions, providing family-centered care and resources to millions of families with ill or injured children each year.
Dr. Audrey Evans has left a lasting legacy of helping children when they need it most throughout the world and we are forever grateful for the incredible impact she has and will continue to have on millions of children and their families.
