An accommodation facility for rural families seeking medical care away from home has been officially opened on the Darling Downs overnight. Just over 12 months since a major fundraising effort saw them raise $350,000, the Common Ground Foundation unveiled its three, two bedroom apartments at Rangeville near Toowoomba. It is hoped families will be able to access the accommodation from January 2024. Felicity Burton, one of three women behind the Common Ground Foundation, had first hand experience of the heartache regional families face during a medical crisis. Ms Burton became aware of the need for more options when her 20-month-old son sustained a life threatening injury. "We ended up in Lady Cilento (hospital) for six weeks and we stayed at the Ronald McDonald House, which was incredible," she said. "Our little boy responded to being outside in the sun... it felt a bit more like home." Ms Burton's experience, along with those shared by friends, led to the Common Ground Foundation which she established with Georgie and Belinda Keats. The idea was to find a way to support rural families in need of accommodation near a hospital, giving them a safe, financially viable option. Families that live 50 kilometres or more from town can access the accommodation while they or a loved one are undergoing medical treatment. "The accommodation consists of three, two bedroom self contained apartments with a shared big backyard, which is fitting given our name is Common Ground Foundation," Ms Burton said. The project was funded privately through donations and events including the Ride for a Roof rodeo at Wyreema, and there are plans to provide additional accommodation facilities in other locations across the country. "We'd love to have a corporate partner... because the grand vision is to expand, if we can do this in Toowoomba why can't we do it in Townsville," Ms Burton said.
