With a third house now serving the Valley, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Phoenix recorded more family visits than ever during 2015.

Ronald McDonald House posted 3,092 family visits during the 12-month period ending on Dec. 31 for a total of 19,926 nights.

More than 90 percent of the families staying at Ronald McDonald houses while their children underwent medical care at Valley hospitals were from Arizona. RMHC requests a $15 per night donation, however, no family is ever turned away because of their inability to contribute during their stay.

The average length of stay was nearly 17 nights with more family visits from Navajo (499) and Mohave (464) counties than any other in Arizona.  The top five counties included Coconino (377), Yuma (321) and Yavapai (282).  RMHC records these as family visits since many families return during the course of the year.

In addition, families staying at the three Ronald McDonald Houses in the Valley were from Canada, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, England, Guam, Haiti, India, Japan and Mexico.

Native American families represented the largest percentage of those served at 37 percent followed by Hispanic (31 percent), Caucasian (27 percent), Asian (2 percent) and African American (1 percent).

The number one reason for families staying at Ronald McDonald houses needing medical care was for premature births (21 percent) followed by cancer care (9 percent), heart problems (7.5 percent) and respiratory challenges (2.1 percent).

“The demographics of the families we serve really do reflect America,” said Nancy Roach, Ronald McDonald House executive director.  “And being able to help those families reinforces the notion that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you live when it comes to doing what’s best for your children and family.  And we are humbled to be part of that dynamic.”