This year, National Hug Day is on Sunday, January 21 and The Ronald McDonald House Charity is looking for support and for people to “send a hug.”

Barróg is the Irish word for hug, but for The Ronald McDonald house, a hug this year takes the form of a stuffed fluffy bunny that can aid families with sick children across the country.

The purchase of one of these bunnies for a loved one helps support The Ronald McDonald house as all proceeds from the purchases will go directly to families staying at The Ronald McDonald House.

Also every person that purchases a Barróg will be entered into a competition that has a prize of a holiday worth €5,000. By purchasing a Barróg, buyers help the Ronald McDonald House continue to do its life changing work for families with ill children.

Each year the charity provides accommodations and support for the families with children who are long term patients at Crumlin, Ireland’s largest paediatric hospital Children’s Health Ireland. They allow entire families to stay with the ill child while they are in the hospital.

The charity has been around for 20 years and has supported over 5 thousand families in Ireland. They have also provided over 12 thousand meals that the families can have together in the house.

The CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities Ireland, Joe Kenny, says, “The Ronald McDonald House provides accommodation for 20 families with children in hospital every night. As you can imagine a lot of hugs happen under our roof. Sometimes they’re hugs of joy and celebration, other times they can be hugs of compassion and comfort, but always there’s hugs of hope for better days to come. Sending a Barróg hug in time for National Hug Day is a great way to get behind our families while letting someone special in your own life know that you’re thinking of them.”

One such family impacted by the Ronald McDonald House was Sophie Mulligan's from Athea, Co. Limerick. Mulligan was born in August of 2022 and has not left the Crumlin hospital since then.

Mulligan and her parents, Melissa and Alan Mulligan have been living at The Ronald McDonald House but will finally be able to return home to Limerick on January 16 after a 513 day stay. The House was crucial to the well-being of the Mulligan family.

“The House allowed us to put all of our focus on Sophie and alleviated worries like; where we were going to stay each night, where our next meal was coming from, how were we going to afford this,” Mrs. Mulligan said. “Having a base that was only a few minutes from Sophie’s hospital bed provided us with peace of mind that was priceless.”

If you would like to send a Barróg please visit www.rmhc.ie. Each Barróg gift set will include the Barróg bunny, a personalized gift card and gift bag. Each gift is at the special price of €10 ex p&p.

The winner of the holiday worth €5,000 will be announced Monday January 22. All proceeds will go to families of children staying at The Ronald McDonald House.