Ronald McDonald Family Room at Caroline’s Corner opens at Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital

The one-of-a-kind program in Charlotte will provide families with extra support when their children need hospital care

Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte, Novant Health and John and Ginny Comly of Caroline’s Corner are excited to announce the official opening of the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Caroline’s Corner located in Hemby Children’s Hospital. Opening May 3, 2021, the Family Room program provides a space where families can rest, reflect, and recharge at any point during their child’s treatment at Hemby.

This new program is extremely meaningful to all three parties, especially the Comly family.  John and Ginny Comly sadly lost their infant daughter, Caroline, in 2018.  The Comlys wished to see Caroline’s memory live on within the walls of the Hemby Children’s Hospital and wanted to create a space for families going through similar journeys with their children.

“We had a number of nights at Hemby Children’s Hospital, and a lot of that time was spent talking about the amazing care these providers were giving not just to Caroline but to our whole family during a time when things couldn’t be darker,” John Comly said in a statement. “We experienced firsthand what it means to have someone be a port in your storm. Having walked this path, there’s nothing more powerful to us than having moments of care, comfort and hope.”

The Ronald McDonald Family Room at Caroline’s Corner is designed to look different than its clinical surroundings. The Family Room is a welcoming, home-like environment, that enables families to experience some restorative time for themselves without having to be too far away from their child’s hospital room or leave the hospital. The space provides families a break from the stress of the hospital environment where they can relax, prepare a meal, do their laundry, or even grab a snack. Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte staffs the Family Room with dedicated volunteers and, once cleared to do so, will offer programming to families such as visits with therapy dogs and evening activities; similar to those activities offered to families staying at the Ronald McDonald House off of Morehead Street.

“The Family Room is more than just a space; more than bricks and mortar,” stated Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte CEO Denise Cubbedge. “The Family Room program provides a quiet place for families to take time for themselves so they can better prepare for the emotional and mental demands of having a child in the hospital. We are honored to partner with the Comly Family and help them create a warm, welcoming space in Caroline’s memory. We also thank Novant Health for making it possible to take a space within Hemby and turn it into the first Family Room in the area. There are over 260 Family Rooms around the world, and we are happy to bring this incredible program to Charlotte for the first time to Caroline’s Corner at Hemby.”

Caroline’s Corner is a prime example of what Jennifer Clifford, chief philanthropy officer at Novant Health Foundation, calls “transformational philanthropy.”

“We’re so grateful to those who have enabled this room to become a life, a legacy. This room will be filled with laughter and families sharing a meal together. It will give those families time to have a feeling of home and togetherness outside of the clinical spaces of the hospital,” Clifford said in a statement. “It is the perfect philanthropic project to honor Caroline Comly.”

“For anyone else who feels connected to that mission, I would encourage you to dive in and do what you can,” John Comly said. “It may seem small in the context of what someone is going through, but it really can make all the difference.”

About Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital

Novant Health is an integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient facilities and hospitals that delivers a seamless and convenient healthcare experience to communities in Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. The Novant Health network consists of more than 2,400 physicians and over 37,000 employees who provide care at more than 800 locations, including 18 hospitals and hundreds of outpatient facilities and physician clinics. In 2021, Novant Health was the highest-ranking healthcare system in North Carolina to be included on Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity list. Diversity MBA Magazine has also included Novant Health on its 2020 list of “Best Places for Women & Diverse Managers to Work.” In 2020, Novant Health provided more than $1.02 billion in community benefit, including financial assistance and services.

For more information, please visit our website at NovantHealth.org. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte

The RMH of Charlotte opened in May 2011 and serves the families of children being treated at a Charlotte-area medical facility.  In 2019, the RMH of Charlotte served 524 families, from 17 different states for a total of 8,251 room nights. For more information on RMH of Charlotte, please visit www.rmhofcharlotte.org.

Since opening, RMH of Charlotte has served over 5,000 families. Located on the 1600 block of East Morehead Street, the House features approximately 35,000 square feet of living space complete with 28 bedrooms (one family per bedroom/suite). It also has a community kitchen, living room, library, playground and sitting porch.

RMH of Charlotte is an independent 501 (c) (3) charity managed by a local board of directors which oversees operation of the home.  RMH of Charlotte is funded and operated by the Charlotte community.  The mission of the RMH of Charlotte is to provide the families of children being treated in area medical facilities with a safe, affordable and caring “home-away-from-home.”  For more information on RMH of Charlotte, visit www.rmhofcharlotte.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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