This spare change, collected through McDonald’s outlets nationwide, funds the vital work of Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Malaysia.
Recently, FMT Lifestyle visited the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM in Cheras and witnessed firsthand the impact of this initiative.
Established in 1999, this was the first RMH in Malaysia and all of Asean. RMHC Malaysia itself began in 1990 as a non-profit organisation dedicated to caring for families with chronically ill children.
For over three decades, RMHC has supported more than 200,000 children through initiatives across the pillars of education, welfare and health.
Besides the Ronald McDonald House, RMHC Malaysia has three other initiatives: the Ronald McDonald Sensory Room for special-needs children; the Gift of Smile initiative for children with cleft lips and palates; and the Back to School Pack programme for underprivileged students.
A second-home concept
According to RMHC Malaysia general manager Mohd Nasri Nordin, the RMH is a second home for families of paediatric patients undergoing treatment at nearby hospitals.
These houses are equipped with rooms that can accommodate three to four people, with facilities like a kitchen, dining area, playroom, living room and laundry room, allowing parents to stay close to their children without interfering with daily normalcy.
The kitchen is fully equipped with food supplies from sponsors, so families can use it to prepare home-cooked meals, just as they would in their own homes.
To further ease their burden, RMHC provides an in-house initiative called “one meal a day”, which frees up parents to focus entirely on their child’s care.
As the operating costs are fully covered by RMHC through corporate and public sponsorship, residents are not charged a single sen.
Each RMH fosters a supportive community where families get to meet others who are undergoing similar challenges, allowing them to feel less alone.
RMHC Malaysia now operates four Ronald McDonald Houses – two in Kuala Lumpur, one in Kelantan and one in Sabah – serving thousands of families annually.
The RMH at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM, a national referral hospital, plays a vital role in supporting families from across Malaysia, especially children with complex paediatric cases who require long-term care.
During FMT Lifestyle’s visit, beneficiaries Nor Hazwani Harun and Teruna Timpal shared emotional testimonies.
Hazwani’s 13-year-old son, Muhammad Aisy Al Amin, was diagnosed at 10 months with a chronic lung disease that required frequent hospital visits.
But Hazwani constantly worried about the cost of travel, which could reach RM150 a trip. She even resorted to sleeping in her car to save money.
At times, she would leave home at 5am and only return at midnight. The emotional and physical toll was immense, making each journey “almost impossible”.
“Staying at the Ronald McDonald House has felt like having a second home,” Hazwani shared gratefully, saying it made navigating her daily routine while caring for Aisy so much easier.
Without RMH, she reflected, they would be constantly tired and worried, on top of facing financial constraints, forced to choose between paying for shelter and buying essentials.
“Honestly, I don’t know how we would face this situation without RMH,” she added.
For Teruna and his daughter Nor Aliya Natasha, who live in Sepang, the daily expenditure for her medical journey would reach RM250 or more – often not inclusive of food and miscellaneous costs.
“Going back and forth between home and hospital was very costly for me and my family. At times, I had to think twice about our expenses just to make sure she was able to continue her treatment for leukaemia,” said Teruna.
“Being able to live in RMH has been a blessing for me and my family. I’ve had to quit my job since my daughter’s diagnosis, and this opportunity really helps lighten my load in many ways.”
Keeping hope alive
Apart from the spare change from rounding up your bill, RMHC’s primary funding sources come from external contributions and sponsorship.
As such, “we open our doors for any organisation, private or otherwise, or any interested individual to contribute to our cause”, said Nasri.
“It has always been our long-term commitment to ensure every family with a complex paediatric case has access to RMH or similar support.”
So, the next time you visit McDonald’s, remember that the small act of rounding up your bill is more than just a gesture – it is a lifeline for parents far from home who wish to remain by their child’s bedside.
To send a donation or learn more about RMHC Malaysia, click here.