Award-winning singer-songwriter Anna van Riel spent three months living at Ronald McDonald House in Wellington with husband Locky Urquhart while their daughter Matilda was treated at the neonatal intensive care unit at Wellington Hospital after being born with her stomach, intestines and liver in a sac outside her body.
Matilda had a giant omphalocele, where the abdomen fails to close around the base of the umbilical cord during early development. The condition occurs in one out of every 10,000 live births, but the incidence is even lower for a ruptured omphalocele, as Matilda had.
The family returned home to the Upper Clutha a couple of months ago and Ms van Riel immediately began organising an event to "give something back" to Ronald McDonald House, which had provided the family with "incredible" support.
"I think it's part of my healing, too, and acknowledging what we've been through and having a sense of gratitude for everything we've received, because our situation could have been so much more difficult if we hadn't received all the help that we did," Ms van Riel said.
The Nook Rd Family Fun Day, which will benefit the Christchurch Ronald McDonald House, will be held on Monday from noon until 4pm, at the Nook Rd Nursery in Hawea, and will include pony and cart and Model T rides, arts and craft stalls, face-painting, a sausage sizzle, raffles, live music and a puppet show. A colouring competition and a "knit wits" knitting competition have also been run in preparation for the event.
Ms van Riel said Matilda was doing "super well" and her stomach had almost fully healed.
"She'll have major surgery in a year or two, which I try not to think about right now. She's such a happy wee bubby and it's so awesome being home with her.
"We've had a really beautiful response from the community with people walking up to us in the streets holding their arms out to Matilda and calling her a wee miracle. It's so sweet. Some people even tell me they feel like they know Matilda better than they know me. She's world famous in Wanaka."
Ms van Riel will also fundraise by singing at the Wanaka Wine and Food Festival in Pembroke Park this Sunday.
