The Taylor family, Northland
In a corner of the playground at Ronald McDonald House sits a brightly coloured plastic trike — Peter Taylor’s favourite toy. Boisterous and blonde, Peter Taylor first arrived at the House in July 2005 after a trip to his family GP in Dargaville quickly spiralled into an urgent referral to Starship. Neither Peter nor his Mum Christine went home for the next three months.
Peter, aged just 19 months, was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease attacking his bone marrow — severe aplastic anaemia. Christine recalls: “That was when we first learned about Ronald McDonald House.”
The House became their home away from home — and a second home to Peter’s Dad Brian and big brothers and sisters Lana, Royce, Shawn and Katie who stayed at weekends. Weeks of blood transfusions, testing, and chemotherapy were followed by a successful bone marrow transplant. The unpleasant side-effects didn’t faze Peter. Christine: “He’d pull a clump of hair from his head and just hand it to me and go right on playing!”
Gradually, Peter’s blood cell levels improved — and in October he was allowed back to Dargaville. Says Christine: “When he got home, he didn’t recognise it! Ronald McDonald House had become his home and the only thing he recognised was his rocking horse.”
Life returned to a version of normality. Peter spent every spare moment speeding around on his favourite trike (pictured).
An acute drop in his red blood cells and platelets in January 2006 saw Peter back at Starship and Ronald McDonald House. By then our transplant units — self-catering accommodation for families with children vulnerable to infection — were open so it was easier for the Taylors to protect Peter’s precious immunity. “It was so wonderful to be able to cook in our own room — rather than trying to keep Peter out of mischief while cooking in the shared family kitchen.”
After a great weekend kicking a ball in the Domain with Dad and making funny faces with his friends on the Starship ward, Peter suffered a major bleed in his brain. He died peacefully in his Dad’s arms in March 2006.
Peter’s red, yellow and blue trike now has a new home — at our House.
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The RMH Auckland Trust funds and governs Ronald McDonald House Auckland (48 rooms) and the Ronald McDonald House Family Room (13 short stay critical care rooms) in Starship Hospital. It is a registered community charitable trust comprised of the following partners: Auckland District Health Board, Child Cancer Foundation, Heart Children, The Rotary Club of Downtown Auckland, Ronald McDonald House Charities and 2 community representatives. The House and Family Room provide a ‘home away from home’ for over 3,000 families of children with life-threatening illnesses each year. The Trust through its staff and partnerships actively fundraises throughout New Zealand to achieve the $2,300,000 p.a. it needs to run the facilities and support its families. Charity Registration number: CC23591